From pause to purpose: Women return stronger

When Zaima Choudhury stepped away from her job in 2024, it wasn't due to a lack of ambition or ability. It was exhaustion—plain and simple.

After graduating in business with a major in Marketing and a minor in English Literature, Zaima entered the workforce knowing exactly where her strength lay. "I may not be the best marketer," she says, "but I know I can write well." She started off her career as a junior consultant, working on strategy and content. Before long, however, organisational demands shifted her role towards bid and tender writing—analysing complex tenders and drafting proposals for development-sector projects.

The experience was valuable, but the pace was relentless. After two continuous years of work, burnout caught up with her. Without another job lined up, she resigned and took a break—an intentional pause that brought some relief, but also a great deal of uncertainty.

Zaima's experience mirrors that of many women across Bangladesh. Career breaks—whether due to burnout, caregiving responsibilities, maternity, or personal circumstances—are common. Returning to work, however, is far more difficult. Career gaps are still viewed with suspicion, particularly for women, and opportunities to re-enter at a suitable level remain limited.

This is precisely the gap WaterAid Bangladesh set out to address through the Women's Returnship Programme, launched in 2024–25 as part of its broader regional gender initiative.

Despite growing conversations around gender equality, women remain significantly underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles in Bangladesh—especially in technical and infrastructure-heavy sectors like Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). While women play crucial roles in community engagement, hygiene promotion, and service delivery, their presence drops sharply at mid- and senior-management levels.

Societal expectations, caregiving responsibilities, career interruptions, and limited access to mentorship all contribute to this imbalance. For women returning from career breaks, these barriers intensify. Many struggle to rebuild confidence, update skills, or convince employers of their relevance, resulting in a quiet but persistent loss of skilled professionals.

Recognising this structural challenge, WaterAid designed the Women's Returnship Programme not as a short-term training course, but as a comprehensive pathway back into professional life.

More than skills, space to return

Zaima first heard about the programme on social media during her career break. She hesitated. The returnship targeted mid-career professionals, and with only two years of experience, she wasn't sure she belonged. It was an ex-colleague's encouragement—"Just apply. You never know"—that finally convinced her.

She applied and was selected.

The programme brought together women with very different stories. Some had been away from formal work for years; others, like Zaima, were early in their careers but unsure how to begin again. The training reflected this diversity. It covered practical skills—digital tools, document management, and exposure to emerging technologies such as AI—but it also addressed areas often overlooked.

"I always struggled to speak up," Zaima says. "The sessions on communication, negotiation, emotional intelligence, and managing stress really helped."

Just as importantly, the programme acknowledged the emotional weight of returning to work—the self-doubt, the fear of falling behind, and the frustration of watching peers move ahead. Mock interviews, career coaching, and peer support created a space where women could rebuild confidence, not just polish CVs.

After the five-day returnship training she was selected as a fellow along with four other returnees through a competitive process. By the end of the fellowship, Zaima had secured a fulltime role in WaterAid Bangladesh—a transition that felt deeply personal.

"Earlier, I was writing proposals for development projects as a third party," she says. "Now I'm actually part of the work. I understand what these projects mean on the ground."

Why returnships need to go further

Feedback from the first phase of the Women's Returnship Programme was encouraging. Many participants reported renewed confidence, improved skills, and re-entry into job markets they had long found inaccessible. Some secured jobs; others reached interview stages for the first time in years. A strong community of returnees also emerged.

But the feedback revealed a hard truth: training alone is not enough.

Many women continued to face challenges in securing sustainable roles, adapting to workplace dynamics, and navigating leadership pathways in male-dominated environments. "I still don't see many women in decision-making roles," Zaima notes. "That hasn't changed yet."

In response, WaterAid Bangladesh is expanding the programme for April 2025 to March 2026, shifting its focus from short-term reintegration to long-term growth.

The next phase introduces two key components: a structured mentorship programme, pairing returnees with experienced professionals for personalised guidance, and a fellowship programme, offering part-time, hands-on placements within WaterAid Bangladesh teams. Together, these aim to help women translate training into practice, rebuild professional confidence, and gain meaningful institutional exposure.

Rather than ending at training, the programme now follows women into real work environments—where confidence is tested, strengthened, and sustained.

Alongside returnships, WaterAid is also introducing a new focus on women's entrepreneurship in the WASH sector. For many women, leadership does not emerge solely through organisational hierarchies, but through enterprises—often small, informal, and under-supported.

Women-led WASH businesses frequently face barriers to capital, mentorship, and market access. Through targeted business training, leadership development, and tailored mentorship, the new entrepreneurship pillar aims to support women across the WASH value chain, helping them formalise, scale, and lead.

'Enough to know I'm on the right path'

Zaima is careful not to overstate the programme's impact. The fellowship was demanding. Meetings were frequent. People-heavy environments were sometimes overwhelming. And structural gender barriers remain firmly in place.

Yet something meaningful shifted.

The programme helped her see her career break not as lost time, but as a transition. It helped her regain confidence, articulate her strengths, and move closer to work that feels purposeful.

"In some ways, my perception has changed," she reflects. "Not in every way. But enough to know I'm on the right path."

Through, the Women's Returnship Programme, WaterAid Bangladesh is quietly challenging how career breaks are understood—treating them not as endpoints, but as pauses. And by pairing re-entry with mentorship, workplace exposure, and entrepreneurship support, it is helping ensure that returning to work can also mean moving forward.

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