KOICA and UNICEF complete vocational training program for 18,000 Bangladeshi women

The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in partnership with UNICEF and the Bangladeshi government, has concluded a five-year initiative aimed at empowering out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Bangladesh.

Launched in 2022 across seven regions, including Dhaka, the program provided vocational training to approximately 18,000 women aged 15 to 24. The curriculum was tailored to local market demands, covering fields such as information technology, mobile phone repair, automobile maintenance, tailoring, beauty services, and driving.

The project achieved an 84 percent cumulative employment and entrepreneurship linkage rate. Beyond technical instruction, the initiative facilitated practical field experience, job placements, and access to financial services to support new business startups. The program sought to address systemic barriers to female economic participation, including high rates of child marriage and school dropout rates among adolescent girls in the country.