Women’s empowerment and the improvement of their social, economic and health status is an important issue. It is also essential for the achievement of sustainable development.
Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES), a national non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Bangladesh, joined Commonwealth of Learning’s (COL) GIRLS Inspire project which focuses on women’s empowerment through skills development and awareness raising to prevent Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM). The activities in this project contributes to two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), namely Goal 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all) and Goal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls).
Community acceptance and involvement are essential foundations for this project. The CMES Alinagar Unit started the project with an Introductory Seminar consisting 120 girls and women. The seminar was held at CMES Alinagar Unit’s Regional Training Centre (RTC), Gomostapur, Chapai Nawabganj district. The primary objectives were to introduce the project activities and to introduce, among the participants, staffs, community members, local elite persons, CEFM awareness.
From this seminar, the participants became aware about the CEFM project activities. They discussed this issue, gave their opinion and expressed their expectations from this project. Since this project contains skills training, the discussions and presentations also focused on life after training for the disadvantaged women and girls and specifically, how they can benefit socially and economically through employment or self-employment.
Moreover, with the collaboration of community and government, this program can be sustained to achieve maximum output. When entire communities are mobilized, the work towards women’s empowerment creates a maximum impact on girls’ lives and well-being.
About CMES:
Centre for Mass Education in Science (CMES), a national non-governmental organization (NGO) in Bangladesh, is working to take science and technology to the grass root people through appropriate mass education and skills training. CMES has been working for the poor disadvantaged adolescents and youth since 1978 with a vision to empower them economically and socially through education and skills development.
Partnered with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and through the GIRLS Inspire project, CMES works to raise awareness about the benefits of girls’ education and negative consequences of child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) on development and provide life skills and market-relevant skills training through the use of open, distance learning (ODL).
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