Staff Correspondent

Charge‚ d'affaires of the US embassy in Dhaka Megan Bouldin today affirmed Washington's commitment to support women's economic empowerment in Bangladesh.

She underlined for fostering both gender-inclusive economic growth and providing opportunities to religious and other minorities, according to a US embassy's media note.

Bouldin made the comment in an occasion arranged for celebrating 90 aspiring women entrepreneurs on their completion of this year's US-government funded Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) programme.

US Embassy Dhaka in partnership with BRAC University's Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) arranged the programmes at the university's Badda campus.

Delivered in partnership with Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management and the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, the programme uses the Dream Builder platform to provide online learning resources and soft-skills training.

The three-month course, conducted in Bangla by industry experts, emphasized sustainability, peer-to-peer learning, and networking- creating a solid foundation for business growth.

The event featured a mini-fair and exhibition where participants showcased and sold their products, demonstrating the entrepreneurial skills they developed through the programme.

Many participants come from marginalized and minority communities, exemplifying their resilience and determination throughout their entrepreneurial journey, the media note said.

Congratulating the successful women, Megan Bouldin said, "You are paving the way for future generations of women entrepreneurs and proving that women have a critical role to play in Bangladesh's economic development."

During the ceremony, six top business pitch winners from the latest cohort were awarded for their outstanding business proposals.

Bouldin also announced an additional $30,000 grant to fund a business pitch competition among 140 participants from all AWE cohorts.

This funding will allow women from all cohorts to compete for multiple $5,000 awards to support their entrepreneurial ventures.

The AWE program, a global initiative of the US state department equips women with essential business knowledge and skills.

The AWE initiative aligns with the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, promoting women's full economic participation and supporting a future where women from diverse backgrounds can contribute meaningfully to global economic growth, strengthening the prosperity of their communities and industries.