Mobile app on financial literacy for women launched

Shanchita, a mobile app on financial literacy for women was launched recently by Care Bangladesh. The app aims to improve the lives of marginalized women, who often have the least access in financial decision of their families.

Women’s economic empowerment is essential to ensure their rights to economic resources and power to make decisions that benefit themselves, their families and their communities. Shanchita hopes to motivate women to keep account of their financial management, savings, credit, investment, financial institutions and banking.

Meher Afroz Chumki, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, inaugurated the launch of Shanchita. She said “Bangladesh is among the top 12 countries in the world with a population of over 20 million, who achieved 6.5 per cent growth rate in 2016- that too in the face of global crisis and financial meltdown.

In fact ADB recently revised the country’s growth forecast, pegging it at 7.1 per cent in 2016. The country’s path towards achieving middle income status must bring about inclusive and equitable growth –particularly for women”.

Care Bangladesh Country Director Jamie Terzi said women’s economic empowerment is one of four strategic priority area for CARE globally while we found economic empowerment of women as a key contributing factor to overall empowerment of women and thereby to equality between women and men.

This requires equal access to and control over economic resources, assets and opportunities, as well as long-term changes in social norms and economic structures that benefit women and men equally,” Terzi added.