Management Response

: Bangladesh
: 2024 - 2025 , Bangladesh (CO)
: Endline evaluation of “Women’s Empowerment for Inclusive Growth” (WING) joint programme
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Bangladesh

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The WING Joint Programme evaluation findings and recommendations are valuable for strengthening future programming on women’s economic empowerment portfolio. The findings and recommendations emphasized the importance of providing tailored support to diverse groups of women entrepreneurs such as youth, SMEs, start-ups, to reinforce the work with local institutions such as government and civil society and ensuring the sustainability of the results through partnerships with financial sectors. In particular, the WING evaluation findings and recommendations provides a strong foundation to understand effective joint approaches through different Participating United Nations Organizations (PUNOs) in advancing women’s economic empowerment through skills, finance, and social norm change. The lessons learned captured under this joint programme evaluation underscore the critical need to address the different support needed for youth, SMEs, CSMEs, disability inclusion, intersectionality and marginalized groups, alongside the need for stronger coordination among UN partners, financial institutions, and local key stakeholders to ensure sustainability. The joint programme has demonstrated the effectiveness in strengthening partnerships through leveraging holistic approaches with government, NGOs, and private sector stakeholders, while reinforcing monitoring and accountability mechanisms, will support the scaling of impact models by leveraging platforms such as Anondomela, revolving funds, and WEPs. The lessons learned and recommendations will inform future programming in the area of women’s economic empowerment as well as into designing coordinated and effective joint programmes, especially given the evolving funding landscape and country context. (To note: The management response herewith reflects recommendations and key actions from UN Women only, not from other PUNOs (UNDP and UNCDF).
: Approved
Recommendation: Differentiate the model to include adaptations for different groups and stages of women’s SME development.
Management Response: UN Women will explore opportunities to strengthen evidence-based advocacy on gender responsive financing instruments, leveraging Regional and country level partnerships to the extent possible.
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Description: Based on Conclusion 1. • Relevant to: UNCDF programme staff; UN Women WEE programme staff; Financial Institutions • Recommended timeline: during future WEE programme design • High urgency, medium difficulty, high impact Develop WING’s approach to WEE with differentiated situation analysis and adapted interventions for: • Enterprises or start-ups run by young women in the younger cohort of Bangladesh’s youth category. • Larger or more established small or medium enterprises which are ready to grow to the next level; • Enterprises led by women from marginalized groups. This involves the following: 1) Develop institutional awareness, policies and selection criteria for larger gender-responsive loan/finance mechanisms (UNCDF). 2) Conduct research on the specific situations and support requirements of young women entrepreneurs, as differentiated from older women’s entrepreneurship, and adapting both training and financial instruments to these (UNCDF and UN Women). 3) To support coherence in this dimension, explore linkages with the work of UNICEF and other development partners on adolescent girls’ skills building (UNCDF and UN Women).
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Identify entry points/opportunities to advance evidence-based advocacy on gender responsive financing instruments in collaboration with the Regional Office, sister UN agencies and other partners UN Women 2026/12 Initiated This will be taken forward as part of ongoing advocacy initiatives on gender responsive financing, in collaboration with sister UN agencies under the UNSDCF SP 1 and SP 3. UN Women Bangladesh will continue to leverage the Regional Care and Climate Entrepreneurship Accelerator, funded by Visa Foundation as well as the Regional Empower programme (with UNEP), to support advocacy on gender responsive financing instruments, especially to support investments in the care economy and gender responsive climate action, engaging diverse stakeholders such as the IFIs, social impact investment agencies and financial and banking institutions (both public and private sector).
Recommendation: Strengthen the approach to WEE with intersectionally marginalized women.
Management Response: This recommendation is partially accepted. The BCO Strategic Note 2022-2027 prioritizes interventions to support the most vulnerable groups, namely especially WWDs, women in the informal sector, female migrant workers, female tea garden workers, GBV survivors, female-headed households, women, and adolescents living in disaster-vulnerable areas, Rohingya refugee women and youth. UN Women BCO will ensure that the design of future WEE programming integrates lessons from the WING JP aimed at strengthening leadership, decision and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
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Description: Based on Conclusions 3 and 5 • Relevant to: all PUNOs; Financial Institutions; implementing partners; training institutions • Recommended timeline: Immediate regarding the revolving fund; during design and implementation of future programmes • High urgency, medium difficulty, high impact Following identification of marginalized groups to target (see above), develop adaptive approaches to support intersectionally marginalized women in entrepreneurship. 1) Adapt business management training to accommodate disadvantage such as lower literacy levels; lower access to IT; mobility restrictions related to low income. (UNCDF) 2) Strengthen targeted mentoring to problem-solve business related challenges specific to these groups (such as mobility challenges; heightened difficulty accessing financial services). (UNCDF) 3) Clarify distinctions between family run and women-led businesses; for very marginalized groups, acknowledge the survival role of family run businesses and seek ways to support women members of these with increased decision making, skills, leadership and mobility. (UN Women and UNCDF) 4) Intentionally include the groups targeted in (business) networking opportunities and related training. (UN Women, UNCDF, UNDP) 5) Support implementing partner capacity, including financial institutions, to include and adapt to these targets. (UNCDF, UN Women)
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ensure design of future WEE programming integrates lessons from the WING JP aimed at strengthening leadership, decision and networking opportunities for women entrepreneurs. UN Women WEE programme team 2026/12 Not Initiated This will be subject to future resource mobilization for women’s entrepreneurship-related programmes. UN Women BCO will further explore entry points to advance women’s entrepreneurship as part of ongoing DRR/CCA related programmes, specifically the Regional EmPower and Strategic Note Direct Funding (SNDF)-funded DRR initiatives that include components on women’s access to finance and productive resources.
Recommendation: Strengthen monitoring data disaggregation to generate learning and adaptation to accommodate these groups
Management Response: This recommendation is accepted. UN Women is committed to collecting sex, age , disability disaggregated data (SADDD) across its programmatic interventions.
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Description: Based on Conclusion 5 • Relevant to: all PUNOs; Financial Institutions • Recommended timeline: immediate and during similar implementation • High urgency, low difficulty, high impact To support a deeper approach to marginalized women, enhance learning and adaptation through consistent disaggregation of monitoring data. 1) Consistently disaggregate all project monitoring data by the marginalized groups targeted. For WING, this means including disaggregation of data for the Revolving Fund. (UNCDF, UN Women, UNDP) 2) Institutionalise processes to periodically analyse this data to identify challenges, and create feedback loops to implementation planning to problem solve challenges with reaching and successfully supporting these groups. (All) 3) Include targeted 3groups in review and reflection exercises to further identify appropriate adaptations. (All)
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ensure collection of sex, age , disability disaggregated data (SADDD) across its programmatic interventions. Senior Management and the WEE team and the M&E Specialist. 2027/12 Initiated UN Women will continue to strengthen the collection and monitoring of SADDD across programmes . To facilitate this, a standardized matrix to collect SAADD across data will be developed, and rolled out in 2026
Recommendation: Continue engagement with financial institutions, especially on challenging issues, and on adaptations of financial instruments to respond to young women, more established SMEs, and marginalized groups
Management Response: UN Women will explore opportunities to strengthen evidence-based advocacy on gender responsive financing instruments, leveraging Regional and country level partnerships to the extent possible.
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Description: Based on Conclusions 2 and 4 • Relevant to: UNCDF, UN Women, Financial Institutions • Recommended timeline: SN development • Medium urgency, medium difficulty, high impact Continue building relationships with financial institutions, such as Bangladesh Bank and the GRIP committee, along with the revolving fund arrangement with Karmasangsthan Bank. 1) Ensure the continuity and good functioning of the GRIP committee and the Revolving Fund. (UNCDF) 2) Deepening the integration of gender responsive approaches in a wider variety of financial instruments, including especially larger loan mechanisms which include gender responsive provisions / are targeted to more established women’s businesses. (UNCDF and UN Women) 3) Invest in monitoring of the fund’s businesses and ongoing training for Karmasangsthan bank staff to plug gaps in business selection and loan administration. (UNCDF) 4) Support financial institutions to identify when men’s businesses are accessing finance intended for women and develop procedures to respond to this. This might mean analysis of identifying loans at higher risk of this; developing different procedures for joint/household businesses and male-led businesses; offering further leadership support or other interventions in select circumstances. (UNCDF and UN Women)
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Sustainability, Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Identify entry points/opportunities to advance evidence-based advocacy on gender responsive financing instruments in collaboration with the Regional Office, sister UN agencies and other partners WEE team 2027/12 Initiated This will be taken forward as part of ongoing advocacy initiatives on gender responsive financing, in collaboration with sister UN agencies under the UNSDCF SP 1 and SP 3.UN Women Bangladesh will continue to leverage the Regional Care and Climate Entrepreneurship Accelerator, funded by Visa Foundation as well as the Regional Empower programme (with UNEP), to support advocacy on gender responsive financing instruments, especially to support investments in the care economy and gender responsive climate action, engaging diverse stakeholders such as the IFIs, social impact investment agencies and financial and banking institutions (both public and private sector).
Recommendation: Articulate and expand the role of local NGOs / women-led CSOs in the model, and consider how this could support sustainability of the role of WDFs.
Management Response: This recommendation is partially accepted. BCO will ensure that the design of future wee programmes integrate lessons from the WING JP aimed at strengthening local level platforms such as WDFs to advance WEE
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Description: Based on Conclusion 2 • Relevant to: UN Women WEE programme staff; UNDP local governance staff • Recommended timeline: during ongoing political transition; during future programme implementation • Medium urgency, medium difficulty, high impact When politically expedient, regroup WDFs and re-assert their roles in budget decision-making, and in supporting WEE at local levels. 1) Innovate on securing accountability from LGIs for to WEE concerns, and to document and circulate allocation successes, so that WDFs do not lose momentum and confidence in their ability to play a successful role in the new political configuration. (UNDP) 2) Deepen capacity building for WDF members to enhance their clarity on how to influence local economic policies and advocate for women’s economic empowerment. (UNDP) 3) Enhance WDF's capacity to handle ongoing political instability by developing robust strategies that ensure operational continuity and sustained engagement with local government bodies during disruptions. (UNDP) 4) Consider a stronger, and more clearly articulated, role for local NGOs and women’s organisations in this WEE model. This could include clearer efforts to engage them in local advocacy for WEE alongside entrepreneurs and WDFs, in part as route to circumventing the inherent vulnerability of WDFs and LGIs to potentially ongoing political disruption. Partnerships would likely include building capacity within local organisations to carry forward women’s economic empowerment objectives. (UN Women)
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ensure that the design of future WEE programmes integrate lessons from the WING JP aimed at strengthening local level platforms such as WDFs to advance WEE. UN Women (WEE team) 2027/12 Not Initiated This will be subject to future resource mobilization for WEE programmes.
Recommendation: Strengthen high level strategic oversight on key issues for coordination of approaches and for synergising joint programmes
Management Response: This recommendation is accepted by UN Women. UN Women BCO will ensure stronger alignment across its programming interventions to ensure coherence in approach on cross-cutting issues such as gender responsive planning and budgeting (GRPB). UN Women will further ensure forward-looking planning to manage staff transitions. In the context of Joint Programmes, efforts will be made to establish clear accountabilities across partners.
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Description: Based on Conclusion 2 • Relevant to: UN Women and UNDP leadership • Recommended timeline: immediate • High urgency, medium difficulty, high impact 1) In ongoing policy support, fully align UNDP and UN Women approaches to GRBP and institutionalised support to local women’s economic empowerment. Clarify and align advocacy goals for GRBP and the role of WDFs, so that national level efforts are coherent with local level efforts. (UN Women and UNDP) 2) In future joint programmes, sharpen the clarification of roles and responsibilities of each PUNO and seek ways to ensure high level strategic across the PUNOs on key issues and at key moments such as staff transitions. (UN Women and UNDP) 3) Explore JP designs which avoid separated accountability to specific Outcomes for each PUNO. This should include exploring integrated responsibilities within outcomes and agreed ways to monitor and measure the contribution of each Output towards joint Outcomes. (UN Women and UNDP)
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Identify entry points to strengthen integration of GRPB across BCO’s programmes (Governance, EVAW and WPS) to engage local level stakeholders on the application of GRPB tools, including those developed under the WING JP UN Women (WEE team) 2026/12 Initiated UN Women will continue to advocate with key government stakeholders including the MOWCA to strengthen localization of GRPB, building on the work done under the WING JP. Localization of GRPB is a key component of the proposed GRB-TAPP Phase II, currently under review by MoWCA. Furthermore, under the ongoing ESGBV programme supported by the European Union, capacity development of local government units on GRPB in five programme districts will be taken forward.
Recommendation: Extend the WEPs approach in Bangladesh, using WING supported SMEs as a resource.
Management Response: This recommendation is partially accepted. UN Women will build on the lessons learned from WING-supported SMEs and Anondomela enterprises to strengthen advocacy with the private sector on WEPs. Further UN Women will continue to advocate for gender responsive procurement to support women led enterprises– both within the UN system (as part of its coordination mandate) and through its programmes.
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Description: Based on Conclusion 3 • Relevant to: UN Women WEE programme staff; SME beneficiaries; UNDP Anondomela staff • Recommended timeline: during new programme development; new SN development. • Medium urgency, low difficulty, high impact Strengthen the WEPs initiative in Bangladesh, especially by deepening the engagement of emerging WING supported enterprises and institutions with gender responsive business practices. 1) Draw on the enhanced resilience of WING grant supported SMEs to expand awareness of gender responsive business and act as potential role models for other businesses. (UN Women) 2) Expand the WEPs space by extending WEPs orientation to Anondomela registered SMEs. (UNDP) 3) Strengthen local level networks for gender responsive business by including WDFs in WEPs orientation. (UN Women and UNDP) 4) Link the expansion of WEPs in Bangladesh to regional initiatives, and further draw on regional expertise. (UN Women) 5) Develop mechanisms for including an approach to businesses run by and/or employing marginalized groups (of women) in this process in order to develop an approach to LNOB. (UN Women)
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strengthen advocacy with the private sector on WEPs. WEE team 2026/12 Initiated UN Women continues to leverage WEPs to inform its engagement with the private sector. For instance, under the ongoing ProGRESS project on skills development with ILO, WEPS has been integrated in the capacity development and advocacy components. UN Women will continue to leverage WEPs as a key component of its private sector engagement strategy, leveraging national partnerships under existing programmes including the Regional Care and Climate Entrepreneurship Accelerator.
Strengthen linkages with the regional initiatives (e.g., UN Women ROAP, UN Global Compact) for country-level collaboration WEE team 2026/12 Initiated UN Women continues to engage with the Global Compact, Dhaka stock exchange and IFC to organize the Ring the Bell event. This global bell-ringing ceremony aims to underscore the vital role of the private sector in advancing gender equality to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals. As such, it is an important platform to build awareness about the WEPs.
Recommendation: Synergize different key dimensions of WEE by building linkages across programmes and seeking to enhance women’s mobility within programmes.
Management Response: This recommendation is accepted. In its Strategic Note (2022-26) UN Women BCO has adopted an integrated approach to programming aimed at transforming gender discriminatory social norms and ending harmful practices. To facilitate this, a common conceptual model (i.e. the Gender at Work framework) informs the design of programmes across thematic areas. Key strategies include consciousness raising on gender inequality, strengthening collectives and networks of women especially those from vulnerable groups, and mobilizing stakeholders across institutions (household, community, market and state) to transform discriminatory social norms that impede gender equality and women’s empowerment, including restricted mobility, limited access to decision making and disproportionate burden on unpaid care and domestic work. This is further supported by evidence based advocacy and improved access of women to resources, services and social care infrastructure.
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Description: Based on Conclusion 5 • Relevant to: UN Women WEE programme staff; UNDP economic inclusion programme staff • Recommended timeline: during design of future programmes; during the current implementation of related programmes; • Medium urgency, medium difficulty, high impact (long term) Address tensions between different pathways to gender equality, and WEE as one of these. 1) Build in linkages to programmes / initiatives intending to shift social norms on issues of gender roles in the domestic sphere and care work including childcare. (UN Women) 2) Consider including a strengthened focus on working with men, specifically the spouses of women entrepreneurs, on gender roles and/or building in an approach to childcare options. (UN Women and UNDP). 3) Strengthen an explicit focus on enhancing women’s mobility through WEE initiatives, consistently developing strategies to enhance women’s presence in public spaces, including marketplaces and decision-making spaces. (UN Women and UNDP)
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Continue to integrate social norm change approaches in WEE programmes WEE team 2026/12 Initiated UN Women’s ongoing WEE programme on gender responsive reintegration has a strong focus on social norm change, specifically addressing the social stigma and barriers faced by returnee women migrant workers. Success stories of WING JP entrepreneurs have also been showcased, as part of UN Women’s ongoing communications efforts, to bring greater visibility to the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs. As social norm change is a cross-cutting strategy for UN Women Bangladesh, lessons learned from past programming, such as the WING JP, specifically to engage men and boys, will continue to inform programmatic interventions at the community level, across thematic areas.