Fast Retailing Company Ltd on Saturday announced plans to empower women and challenge gender inequality in Bangladesh through two new initiatives — a US $1 million donation to the Asian University for Women, and a project to support girls’ soccer.
The announcement was made at Sonargaon Hotel. Fast Retailing Company Ltd senior vice president and Chief Executive Officer of the Uniqlo Yukihiro Nitta and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Tadahiro Yamaguchi were, among others, present.
Fast Retailing Company Ltd is a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under seven main brands.
Through the initiatives, Fast Retailing aims to empower the next generation of Bangladeshi women, to help them fully utilise their talents and play an active role in society.
For the Asian University for Women, Fast Retailing is establishing a donor programme to provide US $1 million in financial support over five years to the institute, allowing motivated women the opportunity to develop and play an active role in society.
Located in Chittagong, Bangladesh, the Asian University for Women is Asia’s only international school dedicated to cultivating successive generations of female leaders. Many of the students are the first female in their families to attend university, and approximately 60 percent are on full scholarships.
For the girls’ soccer project, Fast Retailing is partnering with the NGO Plan Japan to provide training in soccer, leadership, and gender equality and women’s rights and health, as well as to support the organisation of soccer tournaments across Bangladesh.
Participants are also provided with UNIQLO clothing for training. Through this, Fast Retailing aims to help Bangladeshi girls gain the confidence to assert themselves.
As many as 1,200 girls between the ages of 10 and 15 are eligible to participate, representing 64 teams of 18 players each.
The project is planned across all seven of Bangladesh’s administrative divisions (Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet and Chittagong), for a three-year period. The girls’ soccer project falls under Fast Retailings’ Clothes for Smiles With global sales of approximately 928 billion yen for the 2012 fiscal year ending August 31, 2012.
Fast Retailing is currently the world’s fourth largest apparel retail company, and UNIQLO is Japan’s leading specialty retailer.
Source: UNBConnect
Islamic culture does not prevent Muslim women working and earning a living wages if they are not forced to violate Islamic code to please the donor. Also Islam does not prevent Muslima from playing football provided that they are not forced to abandon their Islamic cultural dress code.