Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain spoke at an event titled 'The HERizon Fest 2025: Celebrating Women through Skills and Employment" at a city hotel today. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Oct 6, 2025 (BSS) - Labour and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain today stressed the need for active participation of women in both training and policymaking to ensure their true empowerment. 

"True women's empowerment requires active participation (of female) in both training and policy-making," he said at the inaugural ceremony of a two-day event titled 'The HERizon Fest 2025: Celebrating Women through Skills and Employment" at a city hotel here, said a press release.

The National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) with the technical assistance of Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is hosting the event.

Dr Sakhawat also highlighted the vital role of women in Bangladesh's economy, particularly in the garment sector, and called for enhanced language and technical training for women seeking overseas employment.

Chief Adviser's Special Envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, Secretary of the Chief Adviser's Office (CAO) M Saifullah Panna, and Additional Secretary of Technical and Madrasah Education Division Shoaib Ahmad Khan joined the function as special guests.

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bangladesh Dr Rdiger Lotz spoke at the event as the guest of honour while Executive Chairman of the NSDA Dr Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury presided over the inaugural function.

Speaking at the function, Lutfey Siddiqi emphasized that women are not only participants but drivers of Bangladesh's development. 

He encouraged the government, private sector, and development partners to work jointly with NSDA to create flexible and supportive learning environments for women, and removing social and institutional barriers.

Saifullah Panna underlined NSDA's pivotal role in strengthening the country's workforce and emphasized that women, who constitute half of Bangladesh's labor force, play a vital role in GDP growth, remittance, and economic progress.

Ambassador Dr Rdiger Lotz reaffirmed Germany's support for women empowerment in Bangladesh, stressing that gender equality and women participation in the labor market are key drivers of sustainable development.

The first day of the two-day high-level event celebrated women's empowerment through skills and employment, promoting dialogue on gender-responsive and inclusive approaches to skills development in Bangladesh.

The day also featured interactive workshops focusing on gender-responsive competency-based training, private sector engagement, and equitable access for disadvantaged groups, aiming to inform NSDA's future strategy for inclusive skills development. 

More than 450 participants from different government offices, development partners, academia, and private sector attended the first-day events. 

International experts from Nepal, USA, Austria, Germany and UNICEF shared global insights on inclusive vocational education and future skills for women, guiding NSDA's strategy to increase labour market participation of young, disadvantaged, and vulnerable women.