How remarkably radical village shops are fighting gender norms in rural Bangladesh

“Like me, all women are becoming economically independent. If all women can become self-reliant like me, they will be empowered, and I believe, if women can become self-reliant, society will definitely change in the long term.

We are now self-reliant and our appreciation has increased for that, but those who are outside of this project are still suffering from discrimination and even being abused by men in various ways.”

Asia Begum, Jessore, Bangladesh

A core focus of Transform Trade’s work is about women in trade – supporting them to earn a decent living, and grow in confidence and leadership as their businesses grow . Since 2021, we’ve been running a project working with women farmers in rural communities in Bangladesh.  

One of the most interesting stories from the project this year has been the creation of the region’s first ever ‘women-owned convenience stores’ – a new way of supporting women from farming communities to fight social exclusion, earn money and improve their lives.

These convenience stores are community owned shops, set up with capital raised by the community themselves and located in rural locations largely dependent on agriculture. Owned and run entirely by women, they have been created with their needs at the forefront.  

To date, 17 shops are opened, with a total of 100 planned over the next year.

Initially these shops faced considerable opposition – with many uneasy about the new initiative. But as people see the stores in action - and the positive impact, opinions are changing.

The shops give people access to products usually hard to find in rural areas, as well as providing employment and a safe space for women to meet together outside the home. It’s a radical act in communities where all too often women are confined to the house under patriarchal norms.   

Opening of a women led convenience store in Panchagarh, Bangladesh

Alongside practical support setting up the stores, participants train in sales and marketing. This helps them grow the confidence they need to run and manage the store.  

Long term, the plan is that shops become a ‘one stop centre’ not just for buying products, but also for providing agricultural services and information useful to the whole community.  

It’s early days, but so far the shops are proving a great success. Average sales in first few days were around BDT 3,000 (GBP £30). The community investment was just BDT 40,000 (GBP £400) per enterprise, so it won’t take long to recoup the initial outlay.  

Within the next few months, they will sell chemical free fertilizers, seeds and produce from local farms, including eggs and homemade snacks. On top of this, they act as a pharmacy, selling nonprescription drugs and providing contraceptives.  

Before the first shops opened, women of the community were asked for their input. This means community owned stores sell items which women need frequently, or find hard to get access to,  rather than a traditional model of stores stocking only what store managers want to sell, or what they might make best profit margins on.  

Sanitary pad dispensing machine in 'Shodaipati' - a women-led community store in Tarael, Bhanga, Faridpur District.

One of the stores has set up a sanitary pad vending machine and just last month sold 300 sanitary pads. In the picture above, you can see the pink sanitary towel vending machine at the front of the shop.  In a country where (according to a 2018 World Bank Study) 77% of women have no proper access to appropriate menstrual materials, putting this machine at the centre of the store makes a clear statement that women’s needs are at the heart of these enterprises.  

As we look ahead to the next year, we are really excited about the new stores planned – and to hear more about the impact they have on rural women across communities in Bangladesh.