17 November 2016 – The Philippine Embassy in Dhaka organized “A Talk Over Tea: Women and Culture In Development” at The Westin Dhaka on November 03 as part of the Gender Awareness and Development program of the Embassy.

Additional Secretary Md. Aminul Islam of the Bangladesh’ Ministry of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) graced the event to give insights on the cultural and traditional roles of women in Bangladesh relative to women’s development at present.

The main discussion on Yunus Centre’s initiatives to help women of Bangladesh improve their livelihoods through microfinancing was delivered by Ms. Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of Yunus Centre-Bangladesh.

The activity, which was attended by civil society groups in Bangladesh paved the way for future partnerships with Yunus Centre.  It also provided a background to the Filipino community participants on Yunus Centre’s partners in the Philippines replicating their projects to help those in the lower class generate income.  Colleagues from the ASEAN Missions in Bangladesh and UN Women were also present.

The discussion was immediately followed by open forum where the attendees actively participated and raised their questions.  Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh H.E. Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo ended the program by awarding the plaques of appreciation to Additional Secretary Islam and Executive Director Morshed. END