Microsoft Bangladesh will train over 5,200 women in the country this year to create women entrepreneurs in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
The computer giant signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Access to Information (a2i) programme under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in this regard at the PMO yesterday.
Under the project, women will receive training on computer hardware and software use and troubleshooting and be linked with service centres once the training is complete.
Sonia Bashir Kabir, managing director of Microsoft Bangladesh, and Kabir Bin Anwar, director general (admin) of the PMO and a2i project director, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective sides.
The signing ceremony was attended by Michelle Simmons, general manager of Microsoft South East Asia, and Naimuzzaman Mukta from the People’s Perspective as well, among others.
Through this digital literacy training programme, women entrepreneurs can gain expertise on how to conduct activities at the digital centres as well as help local people with hardware and software support.
“Establishing a digital centre in every union as well as grooming one female entrepreneur along with a male entrepreneur are very important to implement the vision of a digital Bangladesh. We need more hardware engineers as the country’s ICT sector is growing rapidly. This initiatives will help us achieve that goal,” said Kabir Bin Anwar.
He cited the example of the Maldives government, who is following Bangladesh’s model to digitise the Maldives. “Bangladesh is now turning into a knowledge exporter, a result of several ICT initiatives,” he added.
Addressing the ceremony, Microsoft Bangladesh chief Sonia said: “We believe women are an integral part of our society and it is my personal passion to promote women in technology. I am very happy that Microsoft will get an opportunity to work with women at more than 5,200 digital centres.
“We look forward to promoting Bangladeshi women in technology, taking them from employability to entrepreneurship and enabling them to integrate technology in their daily as well as professional lives.”
Digital centres are technology-based modern centres set up in every union of every upazila in every district, and different wards under the municipality and city corporations.
So far, Microsoft has provided similar training to 400 female entrepreneurs in 11 city corporations and 1,500 female entrepreneurs in 15 districts.
