Internal one-stop overview and resources page for implementation partners in GIZ ADVANTAGE/GALS process.
Produced by the GAMEChange international team in collaboration with Nari Pokkho, GIZ and other project partners.
Responsibility for any inaccuracies or shortcomings lies with the GAMEChange team and will be corrected in collaboration with the project partners.
Why ADVANTAGE?
Bangladesh has registered positive economic growth for much of the past decade, yet poverty remains widespread as the country is confronted with major labour market challenges. There is a high prevalence of low-income and informal employment, while wage employment constitutes a small part of the labour market. Moreover, the labour market is characterised by a strong correlation between the lack of skills development opportunities, low skill status of workers, low productivity and low earnings of both formal and informal sector workers, and a high rate of gender inequality among the workforces.
Bangladeshi women face significant structural barriers to participate in the income generation work-force. Compared to men, they are less likely to engage in skills development and more likely to be unemployed. These disparities are rooted in systemic challenges, including:
- gender stereotypes at the macro-level leading to limited job opportunities and occupational inequality and environment devoid of supportive gender policies and infrastructure.
- restrictive social norms at household and community levels leading to: heavy burden of domestic and caregiving responsibilities and lack of access to essential networks.
However, the participation of women in skills development measures and in the labour market is considered as key to economic development. This can be achieved by enhancing women’s employment opportunities, and their economic and social empowerment through skills programs and employment promotion.
What is ADVANTAGE?
ADVANTAGE builds capacities of skills training providers to imple-ment gender responsive and labour market-oriented trainings. In addition, it focusses on women empowerment, promotes gender transformation and awareness on gender equality. The project partners with the National Skill Development Authority (NSDA) to design and develop inclusive gender responsive and transforma-tive strategies, innovative approaches and guidelines. The project also works with local civil society to create awareness for gender equality and toward changing stereotypes regarding skills and la-bour market participation.
ADVANTAGE further cooperates with selected skills training providers in Dhaka division area, specialist ministries with qualification offers as well as private sector, NGO’s and international partners.
Expected results:
- Young and disadvantaged women and other vulnerable groups are empowered to pursue career opportunities through skill development and participate equally in the labour market.
- Their environment (family, employers, skills training providers) support women to pursue careers.
ADVANTAGE AIM 1.
Gender-responsive orientation of the National Skills Development Authority
The needs of young and disadvantaged women as well as other vulnerable groups (e.g. Hijra and Persons with Disabilities) are incorporated into the NSDA’s management instruments and products for competency-based training, NSDA Action Plan and the CBTA-based standards, curricula, teaching and learning materials in conjunction with the development of a gender strategy.
Address Aim 1 by the end of the project through progressively involving other stakeholders to actively support the womens’ ongoing empowerment: men and women leaders in families and communities and government and industry stakeholders and decision-makers.
Why GALS?
ADVANTAGE AIM 2.
Gender-transformative changes in training and employment
Gender-transformative changes are initiated to enhance female participation in training and employment. A change in the perspective of social actors such as employers and women themselves leads to young and disadvantaged women taking part in training courses more often and in developing skills that match labour market needs thus enhancing their employability.
ADVANTAGE AIM 3.
Innovative approaches for gender-responsive trainings
Selected skill training providers are provided with an improved range of innovative approaches for gender-responsive, competency-based training measures, increasing the focus of training to the needs of young and disadvantaged women and other vulnerable groups and increasing the overall scope of gender-responsive training offers.
GALS focuses on ADVANTAGE aims 2 and 3 through working directly with young and disadvantaged women and other vulnerable groups to strengthen their life planning skills, social networks and leadership and the sustainable long-term capacity of Nari Pokkho to support the women and groups and to further innovate with the methodology for Bangladesh.
ADVANTAGE AIM 4.
Creation of institutional conditions to implement innovative trainings
Selected skill training providers improve staff capacities and institutional conditions for the implementation of innovative competency-based training courses. Institutions that have an appropriate learning environment are better able to offer competency-based training courses for young, disadvantaged women.
Address Aim 4 by the end of the project through progressively involving other stakeholders to actively support the womens’ ongoing empowerment: men and women leaders in families and communities and government and industry stakeholders and decision-makers.
‘Happy Life,
Happy Community’
GALS in ADVANTAGE process resource pages
Activities 2025
ADVANTAGE GALS on-line Orientation and Planning meetings
October 2025
‘Happy Life’ GALS Bangladesh Catalyst Workshop resources and reports
Nov 2025
‘Happy Life’ Catalyst Follow Up and ‘Happy Community’ advanced GALS on-line workshops for partners
Dec 2025
Activities 2026
‘Happy Life’ support to prepare partners and champions for advanced GALS ‘Happy Community’ implementation.
January-February 2026
‘Happy Community’ Participatory Reviews, integration into skills training and multistakeholder engagement
March – May 2026
to be decided depending on post-election context
‘Happy Community’ Gender Justice Event
and sustainable movement for change
June 2026 onwards
to be decided depending on post-election context
Key Resources
Key Inception documents and Methodology resources
ADVANTAGE Fact Sheet
Equal Access Study: Final Report
Insert Bang GALS Manual from SAM???
Gender Action Learning System (GALS) Methodology
background and resources on GAMEChangeNetwork
GAMEChange Empowerment Methodologies (GEMs)
generic overview and links
GAMEChange Network
home page and links to global experience