The Center for Research and Development (CRD) organized a workshop on finalizing the chapter outline of the "Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh." The workshop took place from 16th to 20th March, 2023, at the Greenwich Village Resort Hotel Pvt. Ltd. in Lalitpur, Nepal. 4 core members, 5 consultants, 1 research assistant and a project manager along with 2 senior staff of CRD of the study team participated and contributed to the workshop.
On the first day, participants checked in the hotel, had lunch, and roamed around the resort. The second day started with a welcoming keynote by Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, PhD Founder & CEO, CRD, shared the workshop's objectives. The workshop included a report writing guideline, an overview of chapter finalization, and the sharing of quantitative and qualitative data.Following this session, a PPT on the findings of quantitative data from the HH survey facilitated by Prof. Sayema Haque Bidisha, Lead Economist, GGiFI Project and all the core members along with consultants made key discussions on revising quantitative data using a weighted average, merge data on financial inclusion by category, and elaborating on asset holding for females. After a delicious lunch, Prof Ayesha Banu, PhD, Director, GGiFI Project, delivered a powerpoint presentation on qualitative data sharing. To wrap up the day, Participants went to Thamel, Kathmandu for exploring the city and refreshment.
On the third day, there were presentations on chapters 1-8, presented by Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, PhD, Lila Rashid, PhD, Co-PD, GGiFI, Prof Ayesha Banu, PhD, Director, GGiFI, Prof. Sayema Haque Bidisha, Lead Economist, GGiFI respectively. The sessions resulted in several key decisions such as the report must be written in American English, specific guidelines were set for formatting, the methodology section should detail the methods used, and quotations should follow specific writing styles. The methodology section should explain why more female participants were chosen for FGDs, and the chapter on achievements and strengths should include feminist epistemology. The CEO and Founder of CRD, Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, PhD, facilitated the workshop, and the core team guided the discussion sessions.
On the fourth day, the team conducted partner-sharing meetings with DEPROSC-Nepal. After the meetings, the GGiFI team went to Durbar Square, Bhaktapur to explore the ancient dynasty and culture of Nepal.
Overall, the workshop provided a platform for GGiFI team to collaborate on finalizing the chapter outline of the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh. It offered an opportunity to share knowledge, data, and experiences while identifying potential solutions to address the gender gap in financial inclusion in Bangladesh.