Women’s empowerment must be placed at the center of Bangladesh’s climate response, as sustainable adaptation will not be possible without women taking active leadership in building resilient communities, Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain said on Sunday.
Speaking at the National Experience Sharing and Scaling-Up Workshop of the Empower Women for Climate Resilient Societies (EMPOWER) Project – Phase II in Tejgaon, Dhaka, the minister said climate change has disproportionately affected women in vulnerable countries such as Bangladesh, making gender-inclusive adaptation policies a national priority.
He said: "Women's empowerment is no longer only a development issue—it is essential for our country's resilience against climate change."
He added that women's participation must be ensured at every level, from policymaking to grassroots implementation.
Zahid Hossain said the interim government remains committed to advancing women's empowerment through expanded social protection programs, skills development initiatives and climate adaptation interventions.
He said the successful community-based approaches developed under the EMPOWER project should now be replicated across Bangladesh to strengthen local resilience.
Highlighting the country's growing climate challenges, the minister said rural women bear the heaviest burden from floods, cyclones, salinity intrusion and drought while managing household responsibilities and livelihoods.
He also praised the efforts of development partners and international organizations working alongside the government to improve women's adaptive capacity and socioeconomic conditions.
Referring to the EMPOWER project, Zahid Hossain said women trained through the initiative have already demonstrated leadership in climate-resilient agriculture, alternative livelihoods and community-based adaptation measures.
He said: "The time has come to scale up these successful experiences nationwide."
The minister also reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to strengthen collaboration with similar climate resilience initiatives.
He added: "Our goal is to ensure every woman in Bangladesh has the knowledge, skills and opportunities to confront climate risks and protect her family and community."
During the workshop, organizers presented the project's achievements and lessons learned from its implementation in several climate-vulnerable districts. Participants recommended expanding the project's successful models to other parts of the country to strengthen community resilience.
The event brought together government officials, development partners, United Nations (UN) agencies, researchers and civil society representatives.
Around 100 grassroots women entrepreneurs from Kurigram, Jamalpur, Khulna, Satkhira and Cox's Bazar attended the workshop and shared their experiences.
Among the participants were UN Women Bangladesh Representative Gitanjali Singh, senior government officials, and representatives from national and international development organizations working on gender equality and climate adaptation.
