Published: 11:46 PM, 29 July 2026
‘Give to Gain’ model aims to transform women’s role in business
A Bangladesh-Japan business conference on Monday highlighted recommendations including a National Women’s Economic Empowerment Roadmap to 2030 with measurable targets, as senior diplomats and business leaders called for women-led enterprises to gain greater access to finance, procurement and global supply chains.
The Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI) hosted the event under the theme “Empowering Women in Business: Driving Sustainable Growth in Bangladesh through ‘Give to Gain’”, with support from the Japan External Trade Organization and the Japanese Commerce and Industry Association in Dhaka. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam attended as chief guest. The minister identified aviation and tourism as promising sectors for women entrepreneurs. She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to an investment-friendly environment, public-private partnerships and stronger women’s participation in economic leadership. Japan’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Saida Shinichi, said the formation of the new government had brought renewed momentum to bilateral relations. He commended Bangladesh’s achievements in advancing gender equality, noting that Japan “has much to learn from Bangladesh’s progress”, and outlined Japanese-backed initiatives including workplace reforms, financial inclusion and support for women entrepreneurs through JICA. The model calls for training, mentorship, easier financing, supply chain inclusion, safe workplaces and greater representation of women on corporate boards.
The "Give to Gain" approach is about creating opportunities for women to participate in policy and decision-making across all sectors – the "give". The 'gain' is that, over time, women will be able to make a much greater contribution to national policymaking.
Bangladesh ranks 24th among 148 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025, with a gender parity score of 77.5%.
Although women's participation has expanded in education, healthcare, agriculture, banking, public administration and the garment sector, they occupy only 6.17% of independent director positions on corporate boards. In Japan, women hold 20.5% of board seats and 16.3% of management positions, though both remain below OECD and global averages.
The keynote said Bangladesh's journey has progressed from social inclusion to economic participation and entrepreneurship, and should now focus on expanding women's roles in corporate leadership, investment, exports and global business networks.
Participants identified lack of collateral, weak financial documentation, limited business networks and family caregiving responsibilities as the main barriers facing women entrepreneurs, calling for policies that help them move from "micro to small" and "local to global".
Among the recommendations presented at the conference was the creation of a Bangladesh-Japan Women Entrepreneurs Accelerator involving JBCCI, JICA, JETRO, financial institutions and Japanese companies, alongside credit-guarantee and growth-finance facilities for women-led businesses, verified supplier registries, and expanded technical and digital skills development.
JBCCI President Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan said the “Give to Gain” approach that framed the conference would contribute to stronger businesses, better governance and more inclusive economic development. He called for greater access for women to move from participation to ownership, executive roles and scalable enterprises.
JICA Bangladesh Chief Representative Takahashi Junko urged women to recognise their place in business as earned. “Your distinctive perspective is an indispensable economic asset to your organisation, to Bangladesh, and to Japan,” she said.
A panel discussion examined structural barriers affecting women’s participation in business and leadership, focusing on access to finance, corporate procurement, board-level opportunities and pathways to investment-readiness and export-readiness for women-led firms.
JBCCI also proposed a continuing Japan-Bangladesh Women in Business Platform to maintain a verified network of women entrepreneurs, executives and board-ready professionals, facilitating mentoring, matchmaking, capacity building and access to Japanese corporate networks.
The event included a posthumous tribute to the late Kazuko Bhuiyan on the tenth anniversary of her passing, recognising her contribution to Bangladesh-Japan relations.
