StanChart with BRAC, Women Win to launch Goal

Women’s empowerment is central to the values of Standard Chartered Bank and critical to economic development. Women represent a large customer and talent segment for the business and will drive economic growth in Bangladesh in the future.With this in mind, Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh have partnered with BRAC and Women Win to launch Goal in Bangladesh. Md. Ashraf Hossain, Director-General, Department of Women Affairs launched Goal in Bangladesh as Chief Guest alongside Mr. Jim McCabe, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh and Dr. Safiqul Islam, Director, Education Programme , Brac at a ceremony held in the capital. Rashida Parveen, Senior Programme Manager, Education Programme, BRAC and Ms. Bitopi Das Chowdhury, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh was also present amongst others at the ceremony.
Goal is a unique community program that aims to empower young women for personal and economic development using sport and education as vehicles for change. The Goal curriculum is based upon four training modules focusing on financial literacy and livelihood, ‘Be Money Savvy’; communication skills, ‘Be Yourself’; health and hygiene, ‘Be Healthy’; and confidence and life skills, ‘Be Empowered’.
In Bangladesh, Goal will target adolescent girls living in eight upazilas of three districts of Bangladesh. These districts are Sylhet, Bogra and Narayangonj. Through 2-year pilot of the project, we aim to reach the following number of beneficiaries:
1. 41 certified Goal Programme Coaches
2. 500 Goal Champions
3. 5,000 girls and young women
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Jim McCabe, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh said “Standard Chartered’s sustainability strategy has elements that are aligned to the aims of several Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  Goal is Standard Chartered Bank’s response to MDG focusing on promoting gender equality and empowering women. Bangladesh is moving forward in terms of women empowerment with a lot of women contributing significantly in the RMG sector. We believe Goal will be the launch pad for adolescent girls to be empowered in near future.”
Dr. Safiqul Islam, Director, Education Programme, BRAC said “We trust Goal will empower adolescents girls to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives and to become active agents of social change.”
In 2006, Goal was piloted in India and has now been extended to Nigeria, China, Jordan and
Zambia.  Goal has reached 30,000 girls and aims to impact 100,000 young women by 2013 across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
– Press release

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