Joint project to help improve nutrition of women workers

A joint project titled 'Nutrition of Working Women (NoWW)' was launched on Sunday to improve women workers' health and nutrition in the country's knitwear sector.

The Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Nutrition International (NI), a Canada-based global organisation working to free everyone, everywhere from malnutrition, jointly launched the new initiative at a programme at a city hotel.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed, aiming to prepare 20 master trainers who will train other trainers to supply iron and folic acid tablets among the female workers in knit factories, said a statement. This initiative will demonstrate a delivery mechanism of weekly Iron and Folic Acid (WIFA) supplementation and provide nutrition education session for male and female workers.

Whip of Parliament Abu Sayeed Al Mahmood Swapon was present as the chief guest.

Health and Family Welfare Additional Secretary Habibur Rahman Khan, Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) Director General Shah Nawaz, Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Benoit Préfontaine, NI Vice President Brian Harrigan and its Country Director Zaki Hasan, ILO Country Director Tuomo Poutiainen and BKMEA Vice President Fazlee Shamim Ehsan were also present.

"Due to malnutrition and low access to resource and information, majority of women workers can't continue working in their productive age when they have gained more skills. As a result, the RMG sector loses the skilled workers," Mr Swapon said.

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