To supplement the IncluCity local finance project in Bangladesh, The Durgapur Growth Center for the Marginalized Women , trainings are being conducted to support female artisans in growing their businesses.

These sessions also provide the marginalized artisans a chance to form a cooperative group, which can obtain government registration and legitimization, in order to better access local public financial resources.

Inception of The Durgapur Growth Center for the Marginalized Women, slated to start in 6 months, will further provide a base for monthly coordination meetings. These will allow a platform to discuss inclusion agenda, inequalities, and ensure empowerment of local women. This will be owned and operated by the municipality, in collaboration with relevant parties, representatives, and citizen groups.

The management committee of the marketplace, consisting of the female businesswomen, will be an integral part of this. The Honorable Mayor of Narail Municipality and the Deputy Commissioner of Narail have worked in close partnership with the UNCDF to bring this initiative to fruition. Looking towards the future, the goal is for more engagement with NGOs and the private sector in the region, in order to increase partnerships, reach of sales, and further the knowledge base on best practices for inclusive finance.

Workshops also aim for municipalities in the region to gain a more robust capacity for inclusive planning, budgeting, and accountability. A workshop was held in Natore City on October 27th, 2022, and another on November 16th, 2022 in Narail City. The Honorable Mayors, executive officers, slum development officers, city officials, and representatives from excluded communities of different slum dwellers participated. The IncluCity tools were utilized for this workshop – the City Score Card and Inclusivity Index . Through 3 working groups, these tools identified local problems like road infrastructure, water supply, housing, threat of slum eviction, employment, narcotic use, sanitation, waterlogging, girls empowerment and youth development as target areas for the inclusion agenda. As the programs and workshops progress, the hope is to encourage more responsive planning and systemic change in Bangladeshi cities. By catering municipal investments towards marginalized members of society in both the formal and informal sectors, cities can become more inclusive, resilient, and fiscally secure.