Bangladesh: 1,000 Young Women Draft Vision for New Leadership in Politics and Diplomacy

• The year-long 'She Leads Tomorrow' initiative concluded in Bangladesh, successfully empowering over 1,000 adolescent girls and young women as future leaders.
• Funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund and implemented by UN Women, UNOPS, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, the project provided civic and advocacy training across diverse socio-economic backgrounds.
• The initiative established the 'Bangladesh Model for SDG Localisation,' aiming to place young women at the heart of sustainable governance (SDG 5 and SDG 16).

Program Scope and Impact

• Participants were drawn from public schools, madrasahs, and marginalized communities in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Rajshahi.
• A national dissemination event at the Liberation War Museum showcased the project’s success, featuring a 'Coffee Table Book' and a photovoice exhibition documenting the women's journeys.
• High-level endorsements from officials and civil society leaders emphasized that investing in female leadership is essential for democratic resilience and inclusive national development.

Strategic Thematic Panels

• Women and Politics: Transitioning from token representation to strategic leadership in local and national governance.
• Women and Diplomacy: Cultivating skilled female diplomats for international policy arenas and peace-building dialogues.
• Media's Role: Shifting narratives to present women as active architects of social change rather than passive victims.

Implications and Future Direction

• The initiative aims to move beyond metrics, ensuring participants transition into active roles across media, civil society, and public administration.
• Stakeholders, including UN representatives, highlighted the need for an enabling environment featuring family support, freedom of expression, and institutional access to sustain this progress.