| The International Alliance for Women announced that Selima Ahmad has been awarded the 2014-2015 TIAW World of Difference Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. This prestigious honor is bestowed each year upon a woman of great achievement, whose actions have truly made a difference globally in the economic empowerment of women.
Ms. Ahmad’s contributions are greatly admired and recognized internationally: as a role model for women in business through her work at the Nitol-Niloy Group, as a member of the board of directors of the Sonali Bank Limited and as a tireless champion of women entrepreneurs through her work as the founder of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She has enabled women to aspire to a brighter future, to engage as entrepreneurs and to also move beyond micro businesses into more ambitious ventures, all within a society that faces significant hurdles for women in the norms of tradition and culture. Ahmed said in a recent interview: When we started the BWCCI, we decided to do business to make a maximum of profit for our members and get things done without corruption or damaging the environment. We have always ensured that all members of the chamber are highly ethical. Ensuring there is no corruption is very challenging in Bangladesh. To help our women entrepreneurs who are confronted with corruption, we have established a hotline centre, so members can get advice and support from our advocacy teams set up in 7 divisions across Bangladesh. If one member goes to government offices or any other type of offices and is faced with corruption, the following day, she will go back with a group of women, to ensure things get done without bribery. We also engage closely with the Media, particularly at local level, who can be great allies and support our women’s development. Sometimes the media can be a shield against ‘enemies’ (self-interested people), to support your initiative. You need to have a good rapport with the media – you cannot hide. If you are honest and passionate about your work, in my experience they are always supportive. We grow leaders through ‘handholding’ women entrepreneurs and through the many training programmes we provide. Also by taking them to different conferences and events around the world, they can showcase their work, gain exposure and learn from other people. I really believe that seeing is believing and when we bring grassroots entrepreneurs to global conferences, like the Global Summit of Women, it gives our members more exposure and they learn a lot from other women entrepreneurs around the globe. I have seen the changes in these grassroots entrepreneurs after they come back from such an experience. I believe that leaders are not born, that they can be trained. We have a Women and Leadership programme where we have already trained 50 women in leadership skills and democracy and are currently training another 20 more. I think more and more women will come into leadership, through training, in 5 or 6 years.
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