South Korea's state-run aid agency has helped some 18,000 out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Bangladesh gain vocational skills and access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through a five-year initiative conducted in partnership with UNICEF, the agency said Monday.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency said the program, launched in 2022 across seven regions of Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, achieved a cumulative employment and entrepreneurship linkage rate of 84 percent among participants aged 15 to 24.
The initiative sought to help young women overcome barriers to financial independence in a country where child marriage, school dropouts and gender-based discrimination continue to limit educational and employment opportunities.
KOICA and UNICEF held a ceremony marking the project's completion at the Sheraton Dhaka in Banani on Oct. 12, according to the agency.
Under the program, participants received vocational training tailored to local labor market demand, ranging from information technology and mobile phone repair to automobile maintenance, tailoring, beauty services and driving.
Beyond classroom instruction, the initiative connected trainees with companies offering practical experience, supported job placement and business startups, and facilitated access to financial services.
Some participants have since opened shops in local markets with financial support and maintained their businesses for at least three months, KOICA said.
The project comes as Bangladesh faces persistent challenges in expanding opportunities for women despite continued economic growth.
The country has one of South Asia's highest rates of child marriage, while school dropouts among adolescent girls remain a major social concern. Young people aged 15 to 24 account for roughly one-fifth of Bangladesh's population, making their participation in the labor market increasingly important.
To address social barriers beyond the workplace, KOICA and UNICEF also carried out community engagement programs and campaigns aimed at encouraging families and local communities to support women's education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Kim Ji-hoon, country director of KOICA's Bangladesh office, said the agency would continue working with the Bangladeshi government and international organizations to help young women turn vocational skills into sustainable livelihoods.
"The agency will continue supporting young women's capabilities and potential while helping trainees achieve meaningful financial independence," Kim said.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com