At a glance: Trains newly elected women councillors so reserved council seats translate into substantive committee participation, not symbolic presence.
The starting problem
Bangladesh's union parishad councils reserve seats for women, but a reserved seat does not automatically come with budget influence or committee access. NUK's research found that reserved-seat councillors were disproportionately assigned to ceremonial or social-welfare committees rather than budget, infrastructure, or planning committees.
What the project delivers
- Budget literacy training, covering how union parishad budgets are structured and where councillors can meaningfully influence allocation.
- Council procedure training, including committee structures and meeting protocols.
- Public speaking and negotiation skills practice for first-time public officeholders.
- Peer networking sessions connecting elected women across different unions.
Measuring impact
NUK tracks trained councillors' committee participation over their term, building an evidence base reflected in its ongoing Gender in Local Governance research series.
Where it stands now
Training continues ahead of each local government election cycle, with findings feeding directly into NUK's national advocacy for stronger institutional powers for reserved-seat representatives.