2,000 women entrepreneurs to get Tk 50,000 each

The government will distribute Tk 10 crore among 2,000 women in Bangladesh in order to encourage women entrepreneurship in the country's e-commerce market.

The fund, to be provided on the occasion of Mujib Borsho, will be taken as non-refundable seed money from the ICT Division's Idea Project, said State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak.

"We will provide this money to make women more self-reliant," he added.

Palak also emphasised the need to raise awareness and enforce strict laws to ensure safety for women in cyberspace. To eliminate gender inequality, morals and values should be taught by parents as well as educational institutions.

The ICT minister's comments came yesterday during an online discussion styled, "Women in Digital: Employment & Entrepreneurship".

The event was organised by Aspire to Innovate (A2I), a wing of the ICT Division.

Various initiatives are being implemented by the ICT Division to empower the country's female entrepreneurs.

These include allocating 30 per cent of the space in Bangladesh's high-tech parks to women as well as the She-Power project, which aims to create more skilled female entrepreneurs in the country.  NM Ziaul Alam, senior secretary of the ICT Division, moderated the event.