WePOWER, a dynamic and voluntary regional network, was established in 2019 by The World Bank’s South Asia Gender and Energy Facility (SAGE) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It comprises 50 public and private utilities in the energy and power sector across eight South Asian countries, including Bangladesh. WePOWER's prime objective is to support women's workforce participation in the energy and power sector and promote normative changes regarding women in STEM fields. In Bangladesh, WePOWER is currently working with seven partners, with three more organizations in the pipeline. Out of these ten organizations, the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) is the only educational institution that has submitted the LOA to WePOWER and is poised to become a successful partner. If AIUB becomes the partner of WePOWER, it will automatically join the WePOWER Bangladesh National Chapter and will be represented at the Chapter by Dr. Carmen Z. Lamagna (Member, Board of Trustees, AIUB).
To expand its network and enhance women's participation in the power sector, WePOWER officially launched the WePOWER Bangladesh National Chapter (BNC) on June 10, 2024, at the Bijoy Hall of Bidyut Bhaban in Dhaka. Three faculty members from AIUB—Prof. Dr. Farheen Hassan (SFHEA, Professor, FBA), Dr. Md. Saniat Rahman Zishan (Associate Professor, Director, FE), and Ms. Susmita Ghosh (Associate Professor & Assessor, AIUB-IQAC)—were invited and attended the prestigious event. The ceremony was graced by Mr. Md. Habibur Rahman, BPAA, Senior Secretary of the Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, and chaired by Dr. Syed Masum Ahmed Chowdhury, NDC, Additional Secretary of the Power Division. This significant occasion brought together all WePOWER partners in Bangladesh to finalize the Terms of Reference for the National Chapter. The event culminated in the establishment of a comprehensive work plan aimed at enhancing women's participation in energy projects and institutions and fostering standardizing changes in STEM education for women and girls in South Asia.
Partnerships
