Balancing family and career, how women build something of their own: Experiences of participants at US Embassy's AWE programme

US Embassy Dhaka’s Public Diplomacy Section, in collaboration with BRAC University, today (30 November) inaugurated the second-ever cohort of the AWE programme. Photo: Courtesy

Romana Easmin, hailing from Tongi, started her venture with "Oxygen" where she sells indoor and outdoor plants.

"My dream is that every household in the country would be decorated with plants from 'Oxygen'," she said.

She came one step closer to achieving this dream when she was selected to become a part of the "Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)" programme in Bangladesh, a global initiative led by the US State Department, which provides enterprising women with the knowledge, professional network, and foundational materials essential for launching and expanding successful businesses.

US Embassy Dhaka's Public Diplomacy Section, in collaboration with BRAC University, today (30 November) inaugurated the second-ever cohort of the AWE programme at the EMK Center in Dhaka.

It is set to empower 90 participants from three distinct geographic locations: Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet.

Overcoming challenges of balancing family life and career, the fresh entrepreneurs attended today's ceremony with aspirations to embark upon unique ventures they can call their own.

Exploring vermicompost, an organic method in agriculture, Farzana Ahmed grows crops in her hometown Natore with the help of her mother.

To bring that method of growing food to the masses, she aims to gain further knowledge in the world of business.

"Amid various challenges, such as compromising the time invested in family life, I hope to invest more in my business to have a path of my own."

Meanwhile, Monera Yasmin Rimke wants to take her expertise with "Jashore stitch" and "Nakshi kantha" to greater heights.

"I hope to make this weaving method an international name. This training will certainly help me learn to walk the steps in order to achieve that."

A fitness trainer, Khandakar Farhana Sultana Nipa, helps women maintain a sound mental and physical health, working with the motto "Bhalo thaki bhalo rakhi".

With AWE, she wants to hone her skills further in reaching more women across the country.

Speaking to The Business Standard, Stephen F Ibelli,  public affairs counselor at the US Embassy, underlined the US Embassy's commitment to supporting young aspiring women entrepreneurs, promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and nurturing local women business leaders, especially those from historically underrepresented communities.

"In collaboration with BRAC University's Center for Entrepreneurship Development, the programme has expanded, going from 50 women to 90, picked from 2,086 applications," he said.

"They [the women] get intensive one-on-one training to help them develop business plans and grow their businesses, teaching them skills to take on the challenges of operating a business," said Ibelli.

The programme's goal this year is to recruit participants from historically underrepresented, indigenous, and minority communities, as well as women aged 20-45 who have traditionally been excluded from participation in formal training programs.

As a US government exchange initiative, AWE connects women with American learning and expertise, fostering stronger ties among women entrepreneurs across diverse American and Bangladeshi markets.

"When you look at the worldwide statistics, when women do better, families do better, communities do better, and societies do better along many different parametres – security, entrepreneurship, safety, education. Because women tend to invest more into their families than men. As Hilary Clinton, our former secretary of state, said, you cannot leave half of your team off the field, the pitch.

"These women [AWE] are trained to learn to find funding opportunities to grow their businesses, be it from the US embassy, UN, EU or other organisations, and Bangladeshi investors and businesses," Ibelli said.

"Very important to note – many of these women who have many dynamic ideas for businesses, are from, what we call, opportunity areas. In other words, they have not had opportunities. We are reaching communities that need the support, help. So, the potential here is that these women can really help change the dynamics of their communities," he added.

The three-month AWE Programme is in collaboration with the Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management (ASU) and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, the creators of DreamBuilder – a no-cost online learning platform. This platform imparts fundamental business skills from a U.S. perspective and offers access to soft-skills training to enhance participants' overall business acumen.

It strongly emphasises peer-to-peer learning, networking, and fostering cohesion among graduating women entrepreneurs, contributing significantly to local prosperity and business growth.

In this regard, an AWE alumni from the first cohort, Priyanka Nandi said, "Our experience with the training was incredibly enlightening. Our trainers were very attentive to us and they taught us everything we needed to know with great care and precision. Now, we are more confident in our ventures.

"I design clothes on native fabrics through an online platform 'Shilpa Kabbo' in Agargaon. After obtaining this training, my knowledge regarding running a business grew extensively. At present, I am able to reach my target customers through marketing and recruitment and yield better performance through funding and profits. My dream is to open up my own warehouse and showroom in Dhaka."

According to the 2021 evaluation by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), 74% of AWE graduates reported experiencing higher incomes, and 29% hired additional staff in their businesses post-programme.  This data underscores the capacity of AWE alumni to generate revenue and create job opportunities in their communities.

The study reveals that over 90% of AWE graduates reported increased confidence and higher self-esteem, attributing improvements to specific skill sets such as independent decision-making, strategic planning, and public speaking.  These skills have proven invaluable for women-led businesses adapting to economic challenges, including those posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The AWE project aligns directly with the US National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality.