Mothers of Barishal making an impact

Three years on and the mothers of Barishal are leading the next generation of women to success.

In Barishal, Bangladesh, life can be difficult for mothers. Many live in extreme poverty, have little access to education and struggle to make a living. Women often raise their families alone and suffer violence in a male-dominated society.

But things are changing. Women are challenging the norms and taking control of their lives. Their courage to overcome adversity is inspiring their own daughters.

It's because of your donations that this change is possible. An incredible £4,367,508, including £2 million of match funding from the UK government, was generously given to the It starts with her appeal three years ago.

From 2021 to 2024, the British Red Cross funded the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society to run a long-term livelihoods and Disaster Risk Reduction programme. The aim was to strengthen resilience and reduce poverty in 16 slum communities in Barishal, Bangladesh.

• Read video transcript

Strong women, strong communities

Building resilience is key to the programme’s success. People living in Barishal’s slum communities have been able to access the support, training and tools they need to keep their families and communities safe.

Over 2,000 households now have a sustainable income and can better protect their livelihoods from environmental hazards, such as floods and storms.

The programme has provided vulnerable women with vocational training, cash grants and the encouragement to start their own small businesses.

Women’s Squads have been set up in 16 communities as dedicated platforms for women to further raise their voice, enhance their sense of empowerment and seize opportunities to play important roles in their communities.

Meet the women who are changing Barishal

From boat taxi drivers to beauticians, caterers to shop owners, the women of Barishal have built sustainable businesses and are turning their family’s lives around.

• Read Josna video transcript

Josna

We first met Josna four years ago, a trailblazing mother of three. She volunteers with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and is the president of the Community Disaster Management Committee.

She helps the wider community prepare for disasters, like cyclones and floods, and works to improve the community’s infrastructure such as roads, drains and sanitation.

In her role as Women’s Squad leader, she encourages women to confront their difficult situations and gain the confidence to start their own businesses.

Josna explains the challenges facing women where she lives:

“Women face pressure from their families if they go outside, and they do not get independence like men to work outside.”

But the norm is changing. Already hundreds of women have benefitted from her training through the programme and have been inspired by her courage.

She has become a beacon of hope and has helped women in her community become more than they thought possible.

We are working to make a women-friendly community and we will work in future for this. I dream that mothers and teenage girls from my area may live a good life.

Lima

Like many others in Barishal, Lima and her husband struggled to support their large family on his earnings alone.

Desperate to improve their situation, she took part in business development training from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. She now runs her own catering business that supports her family and nourishes the community.

Getting support and training from the programme has not only given her financial independence but the courage she didn’t know she had. Her new perspective has given her clear aspirations for her daughters.

I want my daughters to get educated. I do not want them to do work like me. I want them to do something better after their studies.

Mukul

With support from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Mukul started a dress shop business. Now a successful entrepreneur, she teaches and mentors local women to become skilled artisans.

“I am a woman. I have to face many challenges in this society. When a man runs a shop, he can keep it open till midnight without any problem.”

Mukul is facing the inequalities and challenges of her gender head on as a Women’s Squad leader.

“I feel I am a woman and I can do it. Why cannot I do business beside a man?”

She’s not only picked up valuable business insights, but is educating herself on women’s rights through Women’s Squad meetings. What she learns she can pass on to others in the community and help her daughters towards a brighter future.

“I can fulfil their needs with the help of the Red Crescent Society. Now I can provide their tuition fees, books, school dress and many other needs.”

Mishty

Mishty is a water taxi operator who transports passengers across the river in Rosulpur, Bangladesh. She’s also a mother with a family to support.

Her life is not exactly smooth sailing, she faces daily adversity from society and nature. Frequent storms cause damage to her boat and it’s a constant financial struggle to keep it afloat.

But thanks to cash assistance from the programme, she has been able to keep her business and family going.

Taslima

Taslima is a single mother and has set up her own beauticians thanks to the programme.

Given the financial and societal pressures facing women in Barishal, Taslima appreciates how fortunate she is to be running her own business.

Her goal is to ensure her two daughters and her son receive the education they need to thrive:

"I am working for my children. I am working to inspire them, and I am working for their future," Taslima says. “I want to make them educated so that they can say their mother had done the work of their father.” 

The impact of the programme

The empowered women of Barishal have become decision-makers, leaders and contributors to their communities, fostering positive change. They have built a sustainable future by establishing businesses, ensuring children are educated and promoting awareness of climate change.

With a solid foundation in place, resilient communities are ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.

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This project was made possible through the UK Aid Match Fund, where every pound donated by the British public was matched pound for pound by the UK government.