Around 81% of women in Khulna have experienced some form of violence at least once in their lives, according to findings presented at the inauguration of a project aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment through the informal urban economy.
The information was shared at the launch of the project titled “Women’s Economic Empowerment through the Informal Urban Economy,” organized by World Vision at the CSS Ava Center in Khulna on March 5.
Speakers at the event said many women in the city have faced physical, sexual, and psychological abuse from their husbands or partners at least once in their lifetime. The statistics also showed that 2.15% of Khulna city residents live below the lower poverty line, while 10.2% fall within the upper poverty line.
Among the working-age population, 39.10% of adults are not engaged in income-generating activities, and 49.60% of them are women. In addition, 31.82% of young people aged 20–24 are not involved in employment or training, of whom 51.92% are women. Only 15.10% of adult women are engaged in the workforce, and 25% of them work in the informal economy.
Under the project, 1,160 women from 31 wards under Khulna City Corporation will directly benefit, while around 6,000 people will benefit indirectly. The project has an approved budget of $300,000 and will run for 24 months—from December 2025 to November 2027.
Senior Manager of World Vision’s Khulna Area Programme Coordination Office, Fuli Sarkar, said the initiative will provide business management and entrepreneurship training to 1,160 women, technical skills development training to 400 women, and financial support for business development to 600 women. Training on financial management, digital business expansion, and gender equality will also be provided.
Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Umme Salma Khanam said economic empowerment should not only focus on income but also encourage women to become self-reliant while ensuring their mental well-being.
Other speakers emphasized that collaboration between government and non-government organizations is essential to improve women’s livelihoods and ensure sustainable family and community development.