Cowater International and Partners to Advance Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh through the Professionalization of the Nursing Sector
OTTAWA, June 1, 2021 – Cowater International recently received funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to enhance the voice, influence and empowerment of nurses in the health sector in Bangladesh. The 5-year (2021-26), $19.6 million CAD project entitled ProNurse, will be delivered in association with the University of Montreal and the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing, and will collaborate closely with the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery (DGNM), the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Through ProNurse, with funding from the Government of Canada, we will improve the quality of gender-responsive education and enhance the professional status of nurses in Bangladesh. The project will work to strengthen the overall environment enabling nurses to meaningfully participate in the health sector. ProNurse will achieve this by providing technical assistance to support public and private nursing sector stakeholders; capacity building to strengthen the clinical, managerial and teaching capacity of nurses; as well as infrastructure improvement of nursing education facilities.
Key project activities will include:
- Providing support for the expansion/repair/renovation of the Mohakhali College of Nursing (CoN) complex and the proposed site of the National Nurse Teachers Training Institute (NNTTI);
- Developing and implementing a NNTTI Certificate Training Program;
- Developing and implementing a system of continued professional development;
- Developing a comprehensive competency-based, gender-responsive nursing career path; and
- Engaging influencers and policy-makers in improving the status of nursing in the country.
