The “Improving Skills and Economic Opportunities for Women and Youth in Cox’s Bazar” (ISEC) project is promoting economic self-reliance for 24,760 adolescents, youth, women, and persons with disabilities in the Cox’s Bazar district. As of February this year, the project has supported 12,517 individuals in securing employment or becoming self-reliant.
Launched in 2023, the project primarily targets adolescents, youth, women, and persons with disabilities who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). It aims to equip them with market-relevant, gender-reponsive skills and entrepreneurial capacities to support employment and long-term self-sufficiency. The initiative is being implemented by BRAC, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and UNDP, with financial support from Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and is scheduled to conclude this year.
A range of interventions are being carried out under the project, including poverty alleviation and small enterprise development through the Ultra-Poor Graduation (UPG) model, institutional training, on-the-job apprenticeships, business development and entrepreneurial capacity building, and employment facilitation through BRAC’s ‘Career Hub’ for members of the host community.
A core objective of ISEC is to foster a positive shift in public perception — encouraging people to see skills training as a long-term investment. It also aims to increase the participation of women and persons with disabilities in both formal and informal sectors, and to make non-traditional career options more appealing to young people.
In line with the commitment to ‘Leave No One Behind,’ the ISEC project places particular emphasis on engaging local adolescents, youth, women, and persons with disabilities who face significant barriers to employment and skills development. Drawing on its institutional expertise and extensive experience, BRAC is working to mainstream skills development, livelihoods, and gender empowerment to help realise the project’s goals.
Through ISEC, job-seeking youth are receiving guidance and support from BRAC’s ‘Career Hub’ as they prepare to enter the workforce. At the same time, individuals who are skilled, semi-skilled, or even illiterate are being supported through various training and assistance initiatives to help them achieve self-reliance. Some are working in furniture-making factories, others are learning to drive, while many are expanding their small businesses or adopting new strategies to stay competitive in the market.
Through the UPG approach, individuals living in extreme poverty are receiving close guidance and support to lift themselves out of poverty. Many are now earning a livelihood through agriculture, poultry and livestock rearing, or other sectors, and are leading lives of dignity within their communities.
According to Fokhrul Alam, project lead, ISEC project, “The primary goal of ISEC is to enhance the skills and earning potential of local residents in Cox’s Bazar who are not engaged in employment or training. We are particularly focused on creating market-relevant employment and self-reliance opportunities for adolescents, youth, women, and especially persons with disabilities.”
According to ILO data, over 2.6 million Bangladeshis reside in Cox’s Bazar. Approximately 33 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line — higher than the national average. Female labour force participation in the district stands at just 26 per cent. The local economy is primarily dependant on agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Among the youth population, nearly 500,000 are not in education, training, or employment — of whom over 400,000 are women.
It is important to note that Cox’s Bazar remains one of Bangladesh’s most underserved districts. The 2017 influx of Rohingya refugees has placed additional pressure on the local economy, food security, and social systems. A lack of market-relevant skills has further disadvantaged local youth and women in accessing economic opportunities. In this context, BRAC, ILO, and UNDP are working collaboratively through the ISEC project to strengthen skills, create employment opportunities, and promote economic self-reliance.
