Maiden digital platform for rural women entrepreneurs
New stories to be created to break the glass ceiling
Special Correspondent | Monday, 19 March 2018
Krishti, a flexible, accessible and cost-effective e-commerce platform, has brought a new hope among rural women entrepreneurs as it will help them explore business prospects beyond conventional channels.
The initiative, first of its kind in the country, will help spur better business growth as well as financial sustainability for rural women entrepreneurs so that they can break through the glass ceiling to hit the jackpot of economic empowerment.
Women's Economic Empowerment through Strengthening Market Systems (WEESMS) and Bagdoom.com jointly launched the digital platform in the city recently.
Krishti is a women empowerment initiative focused on providing rural women entrepreneurs with more advanced platform to sell their products nationwide and expand their customer base.
WEESMS is funded by the Embassy of Sweden and implemented by iDE Bangladesh and The Asia Foundation and currently working in Rangpur and Khulna division across nine districts in home textiles, diversified jute products and processed and packaged foods.
Country Director of iDE Bangladesh Deepak Dhoj Khadka and Co-Founder of Bagdoom.com Syeda Kamrun Ahmed were present at the launching programme.
Bagdoom.com and WEESMS have already conducted three training sessions in Rangpur area. The participants acquired knowledge about product photography, quality assurance and basic account management on the Bagdoom website.
Nearly 100 women participated in the training and 30 of them have already signed up to sell their products on Krishti project. Four women entrepreneurs also showcased their products during the launching event.
Syeda Kamrun Ahmed said, "Women are half of the economic driving force of Bangladesh and they are very talented at what they do. We hope that more rural women will use this platform to present their products to customers home and abroad."
CEO of Bagdoom.com Mirajul Huq said, "Bagdoom is not just an e-commerce site but has intended to empower women across various peripheries in Bangladesh."
Deepak Dhoj Khadka, Country Director of iDE, said, "Bangladesh is one of the success stories in South Asia in terms of rapid uptake of mobile and web technologies and it has transformed how we work, connect and do business. At WEESMS, we are constantly searching for innovative ways to support rural consumers and producers to connect them to bigger and more rewarding markets.”