Women’s Day special event held by BRAC Kumon Limited (BKL)

BRAC Kumon Limited (BKL), in collaboration with JETRO Bangladesh, hosted a Women's Day special event this year, in line with the global Women's Day theme of "DigitAll: Innovation & Technology for Gender Equality", at BRAC Centre on the 6th of March this year.

Aimed at discussing how technology has helped provide increased work opportunities for Bangladesh's women and can continue to do so in the future- the event consisted of panel discussions and speeches from distinguished guest speakers.

The guest speakers in attendance included H.E. IWAMA Kiminori, the Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, the Managing Director of BKL, Yuji Ando, Country Representative of JETRO Dhaka Office, and Koichi Kanno, a representative of Kumon Institute of Education Co., Ltd. amongst others.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh, H.E. IWAMA Kiminori acknowledged the progress made by Bangladesh in promoting women's empowerment and emphasized the need for Japan to improve in this area.

Ambassador Kiminori also praised Bangladesh for its efforts in increasing women's political representation, promoting women's entrepreneurship, and improving access to education and healthcare for women. He also highlighted the significant role played by women in Bangladesh's economic growth and development.

The first panel discussion hosted during the event, themed "Education for Equality", moderated by Nehal Bin Hasan, Head of BKL, included Instructors of Kumon Mirpur and Kumon Gulshan, Sumaiya Farzana Quaderi and Rhidita Tasnim along with Kurahashi Kojiro, Program Advisor, JICA Bangladesh, and Mae Watanabe, Project Director of Ekmattra Handicrafts, Ekmattra Entrepreneurs Ltd. as panelists. The goal of this panel was to highlight the cultural cohesion between the parents of Kumon students, Instructors, and the Japanese expatriates currently living in Bangladesh.

Ms Sumaiya Farzana Quaderi, Instructor of Kumon Mirpur Center, attributed her success to the guidance and support provided by BKL. "Having my own business was always a dream of mine," she said, "and with the help of BKL, I was able to turn that dream into a reality." Ms Quaderi went on to express her gratitude for the opportunities provided by BKL and how it has helped her and other women in realizing their entrepreneurial aspirations. She also emphasized the importance of empowering women in business and the need for more programs like Kumon to support and uplift women entrepreneurs.

Ms Rhidita Tasnim, Instructor of Kumon Gulshan Center, expressed her great sense of achievement when she witnessed her students practising self-learning, which is the foundation of the Kumon method. "As Kumon Instructors, it's our greatest accomplishment to observe our students doing their work independently. It's encouraging to see our students cultivating a passion for learning and becoming self-reliant learners."

BKL has helped numerous women like Ms Quaderi & Ms Tasnim to start their own businesses by providing training, mentoring, and Center development support.

Ms Mae Watanabe, Project Director of Ekmattra Handicrafts, Ekmattra Entrepreneurs Ltd. is an artist and entrepreneur. She is passionate about making a positive impact on future generations. She believes that it is essential to give back to society and leave a legacy that benefits the community.

Mr Kurahashi Kojiro, Program Advisor, JICA Bangladesh, has been making a significant impact on the lives of Rohingyas through his peace-building project since 2015. According to a recent research study conducted in 2021, an alarming 93% of Rohingyas aged between 16 to 24 years did not receive an education in Myanmar. However, 83% of them are now attending school in Bangladesh, which is a significant leap in the literacy rate.

The second-panel discussion hosted during the event was themed "She Speaks Power" -with the goal of bringing together technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and gender equality activists to share their journey and experiences of gender equity through digitization. The panel was moderated by Dr Rubana Ahmed, Assistant Professor & Proctor at BRAC University. The panelists were Md. Tajdin Hassan, Chief Business Officer at The Daily Star, Dr Erum Mariam, Executive Director of BRAC IED, and Ms Rudmeela Nawsheen, Founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley-based organizations ConfigVR & ConfigRbot.

Dr Erum mentioned in her speech, "BRAC, under the leadership of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, has been a driving force for empowering women in the communities it serves. With a focus on education and skill development, BRAC has instilled the courage and compassion necessary for its staff to work towards sustainable development in their communities. This commitment to empowering women has been at the core of BRAC's work, and as a result, women have been provided with support to stand on their own. Through access to education, job training, and financial services, BRAC has enabled women to take control of their lives and contribute to their community's growth and development. This focus on women's empowerment has been a hallmark of BRAC's work and has helped to create a more equitable society, both in Bangladesh and beyond."

During the event, Md. Tajdin Hassan, the Chief Business Officer at The Daily Star, shared his personal connection with BRAC. "I am an alumnus of BRAC University, and my wife is currently a Kumon Instructor at Kumon Gulshan centre. So, the legacy with BRAC continues in my life," he said. Mr Hassan then emphasized the crucial role of women in the workforce and the need to foster a better work environment for them. "Women have been actively participating in almost every job sector in recent times. To create a better workplace for them, all forms of bullying must be stopped," he added. His speech underscored the significance of empowering women and cultivating a safe and supportive workplace for them.

Ms Rudmeela Nawsheen, the CEO of ConfigVR & ConfigRbot highlighted the importance of women in the technology industry by stating, "To pave the way forward, we need to break the barriers, stigmas, and stereotypes and welcome more and more women in the industry of robotics, machine learning, and AI. Women can achieve anything they want, and we need their active participation in this field as this is the generation of technological advancement."

Achieving gender equity requires a collective effort from all members of society. This includes policymakers, employers, educators, parents, and individuals themselves. We must challenge and dismantle patriarchal systems and biases that limit opportunities and perpetuate discrimination against women and marginalized gender groups. Moreover, we need to invest in initiatives that promote gender equality so that we can create a world where everyone has an equal chance to thrive, regardless of their gender.