Australia Awards South and West Asia

On 10 September 2025, members of the Regional Women in Leadership Network joined an online seminar led by the Bangladesh chapter of the Women in Leadership Network (WiLN).

The Bangladesh chapter shared a set of guiding principles developed earlier in 2025 aimed at strengthening women’s leadership across sectors. These principles reflect a shared commitment to inclusive community practice and collaborative leadership.

Hasne Begum, a representative of the Bangladesh chapter, delivered a comprehensive presentation about the work of the Bangladesh WiLN. She outlined a timeline of the chapter’s work since 2015, when the WiLN was established at the Regional Alumni Workshop held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Bangladeshi alumna Hasne Begum (top row, middle) addressing the alumnae during the session.

Key achievements of the Bangladesh WiLN since 2016 include organising events such as Girl Child Equity and Empowerment; Reclaiming Personal Wellbeing; and Resilience and Women’s Stories of Accomplishment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Notably, in May 2025, the Bangladesh chapter formed a WiLN working group. This group first focused on developing the guiding principles it would follow, such as emphasising inclusivity and diversity and adopting a non-hierarchical structure. The group then developed an activity plan for the following 12 months. Priority initiatives planned in the upcoming year include a mental health awareness campaign, International Women’s Day celebrations and a campaign for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Hasne acknowledged the challenges the alumni face but remained positive about taking forward their plans.

Guiding principles adapted by Bangladesh chapter.

Commenting on the session, Mongolian alumna Nurjan Khavdselem said, “This session has been insightful in facilitating the exchange of practices contextualised within the Bangladesh WiLN. In particular, the framework and guiding principles provided valuable inputs, especially when members’ practices and commitments intersect across multiple areas, including initiatives facilitated by technology and responses to gender-based violence. Our potential collaborations can be strategically interlinked with the regional and global mechanisms in which we are engaged, creating more viable platforms for collective support and action in respective areas.”

Members of the Women in Leadership Network Bangladesh chapter pictured with Australia Awards staff members in Bangladesh.

The participating alumnae were invited to engage with the guiding principles and consider how the principles might be adapted to their own country contexts. The event concluded with a preview of an upcoming alumni panel to mark World Mental Health Day 2025. The panel, focusing on the importance of mental health for sustainable development, is open to all Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia alumni. You can register for this session now here.

The Regional Women in Leadership Network is a member-led alumni initiative under Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia that aims to connect, celebrate and strengthen women leaders. Together, its members seek to foster equity and inclusion by sharing knowledge, building leadership capacity and advancing gender equality.