Online freelancing training can have a significant positive impact on the employment and income of underprivileged women, according to a study by the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).
Findings from the study were disseminated at a workshop held Wednesday in Dhaka.
The workshop brought together government officials, trainees and implementers to discuss the ways forward to develop an inclusive and sustainable ecosystem for women freelancers in Bangladesh.
The mixed-method study evaluated the impact of a freelancing training programme, conducted by Coders Trust Bangladesh (CTBD), which targeted women aged between 18 to 35 years.
According to the workshop, the programme titled "Women’s Skills Development for Freelancing Marketplaces" aims to develop 1,000 young underprivileged women into freelancers by providing them free training on different ICT-related skills and building their confidence through post-training technical mentorship and career advising support.
Women who received the training had a 28% higher employment rate, and a 53% increase in monthly income from both freelancing and non-freelancing sources, compared to women in the control group who did not receive the training, as per the study.
However, constraints such as lack of family support, access to digital devices and connectivity, language barriers, and lack of time drove many women to drop out of the training programme.
Dr Imran Matin, executive director of BIGD, said: "Youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb for Bangladesh. We must address it with urgency."
Ataul Gani Osmani, country director of CTBD said, "If you want to earn online, you must learn online."
However, Lopita Huq, research fellow at BIGD, said: "We have to weigh the pros and cons before involving women in online freelancing in Bangladesh."
