UNFPA and Sweden Launch “The Catalyst Initiative” to Promote Positive Masculinities and Gender Equality in Bangladesh
২০ নভেম্বর ২০২৫
Dhaka, 19 November 2025 — On International Men’s Day today, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Sweden have launched the Catalyst Initiative, a pioneering partnership to promote positive masculinity and transform gender norms from within the development and humanitarian sector in Bangladesh.
Supported by Sweden, the Catalyst Initiative seeks to redefine how men and boys engage in gender equality by promoting empathy, care, and non-violence. The initiative aims to make development institutions and their staff role models applying gender-transformative approaches, ensuring that workplaces, programmes, and leadership structures reflect equality and respect for all.
“On this International Men’s Day, we’re reminded that meaningful change needs to start with ourselves. As a man, I know that challenging harmful norms begins with looking inward. Sweden is happy to support this initiative, helping men reflect, grow, and play a real part in advancing gender equality,” said Nicolas Weeks, Ambassador of Sweden to Bangladesh.
“This initiative is built on the profound understanding that personal transformation is the prerequisite for professional impact. Change must begin 'at home', and our 'home' is our own development and humanitarian sector,” said Catherine Breen Kamkong, UNFPA Representative in Bangladesh. “By supporting our male colleagues to become more active, conscious allies of societal transformation, we want to ensure that every programme we design, every policy we advocate for, and every person we reach is served by professionals who genuinely embody the values of gender equality,” she added.
Under the initiative, UNFPA will develop learning modules, lead workshops for male staff of development agencies and embassies and organize awareness raising campaigns to help institutions assess their internal gender dynamics, strengthen male allyship, and develop gender-transformative programming supported by positive masculinity.
“The change starts within us, within our organizations, our families, and our own attitudes. And this initiative is for and about the male colleagues who will be supported throughout their learning journeys - from self-reflection to active application. The Catalyst Initiative is an innovation that is centred around role modelling the equality we advocate for and transforming masculinity into a force for peace, equality, and justice,” Masaki Watabe, UNFPA Bangladesh Deputy Representative, added.
For more information, please contact:
Gulalek Soltanova
Chief of Communication
UNFPA Bangladesh
+8801332112579
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