Terms of Reference
Value Chain Analysis
1 Background
iDE is an international NGO with over 30 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based
anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. We are a world leader in making markets work for the poor as
well as the longest established market development specialist NGO in Bangladesh. iDE believes that
markets can be a powerful force for improving smallholder prosperity by creating income and
livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. iDE Bangladesh currently has eight projects in
agricultural markets, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and access to finance with a focus on
women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart technologies.
2. Programme Overview:
The Women’s Economic Empowerment through Strengthening Market Systems (WEESMS)
programme is a five-year (2016-2021) initiative funded by the Embassy of Sweden, designed to
increase women’s participation in the labour market in rural and peri-urban Bangladesh, with a
significant focus on reducing gender inequality in the country’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. The
programme is being implemented through a partnership of iDE Bangladesh and The Asia Foundation
across nine districts under the Khulna and Rangpur divisions of Bangladesh. During its inception
phase, the programme conducted thorough market research to narrow down its focus from over
hundreds of industries to specifically the sub-sectors of home textiles and jute diversified products,
and, processed and packaged foods as an entry point.
The three outcomes of the WEESMS programme are:
Outcome 1: Increased number of women entrepreneurs and the growth of women-oriented/ led
businesses (SMEs) in target sectors
Outcome 2: Improved women’s access to formal and informal productive employment opportunities
in target sectors
Outcome 3 : Increased retention rates of women in the labour market in target sectors
The programme is being implemented in 12 Upazilas in 8 districts under 2 divisions in the three
sectors mentioned above. The following table details the additional 8 sectors that have been
shortlisted by the programme during the Inception Phase.
Click here to download the detail ToR |