Unwrapped in action: women leading change in Bangladesh

Life in the Munda community

Every month, around 150 women from the Munda Indigenous community gather in a village near the Sundarbans mangrove forest in southwest Bangladesh.

Across 10 groups, they come together to save money, share ideas, solve problems, and support one another. At the centre of it all is Surodhani Munda – a teacher, community leader, and President of one of the women’s collectives.

Surodhani grew up in the Munda Indigenous community in southwest Bangladesh. For generations, many Munda families have faced discrimination, poverty, and exclusion, with limited access to education, stable work, and support. Women and girls are often affected most, with fewer opportunities to earn an income or take part in decisions that shape their lives.

Finding independence and becoming a leader

Despite these challenges, Surodhani never gave up on her dream of becoming independent. But after getting married, financial hardship forced her to leave school. With her husband working as a daily wage labourer, she started looking for ways to support her family and earn her own income.

When a school for Munda children opened in the village, Surodhani jumped at the chance to become a teacher there. The pay was small, so she also started tutoring local children to help bring in extra income. Over time, she became someone other women in the community naturally turned to for advice, encouragement, and support.

Collective action driving lasting change

A turning point came when Surodhani learned about an Oxfam Bangladesh-supported women’s collective helping women in the Munda community challenge the barriers holding them back. Recognising it as the opportunity she had long hoped for, she joined the group and quickly became a mentor and leader among the other women.

Through regular meetings, women came together to save money, share ideas, and support one another while building skills in leadership, financial management, climate resilience, women’s rights, and sustainable livelihoods. Surodhani’s background in teaching and her growing confidence within the group led to her being elected President of one of the collectives.

As President of her group, Surodhani helps lead the monthly meetings. Each woman contributes what she can to a shared savings fund, creating a safety net families can rely on during emergencies, after extreme weather, or when investing in a new way to earn an income.

Today, Surodhani regularly meets with local leaders and government representatives to speak up for Munda families and help women access the support and opportunities they deserve.

Through the project, Surodhani and other women have taken part in training on:

• climate resilience
• sustainable agriculture
• financial management
• women’s rights
• leadership
• preventing child marriage and gender-based violence

Many women have since strengthened their incomes through activities such as livestock rearing, tailoring, fishing, running mobile shops, crab farming, and sack gardening, a method of growing vegetables in raised sacks to cope with flooding and salty soil.

For many families, the difference has been life-changing. Household income among women taking part in the project increased by 15%, while savings more than doubled, giving families more stability, security, and hope for the future.

What began as small savings groups has grown into something much bigger – spaces where women encourage one another, solve problems together, and show what is possible when women have the chance to lead together.

The success of the project is a powerful reminder that when women have the support, skills, and opportunities they need to thrive, entire communities benefit too.

One of the biggest changes has been the growing confidence and independence of women in the community. Women who were once excluded from decisions affecting their lives are now taking on more active roles at home, in business, and across their communities.

Today, 93% of women involved in the project are taking part in decisions within their lives and families, while many are also earning and selling goods independently for the first time. By saving together and offering small loans to one another, families have also been able to rely less on high-interest moneylenders.

Women have also been able to access:

• maternity allowances
• disability support
• vocational training
• winter clothing
• cash-for-work programmes

This helps families feel more secure and supported. But the impact goes far beyond finances. More families are learning about women’s rights and the harms of child marriage and gender-based violence, helping girls feel safer and more able to continue their education.

Young people are also finding new ways to celebrate and speak up for their Munda identity through creative community projects.

Change is happening within families, too. More men are encouraging women to earn an income, speak up in decision-making, and take on leadership roles, helping create a more supportive environment for women and girls.

Surodhani’s leadership has inspired more women to speak up, take on active roles in their communities, and believe in what they are capable of.

As women step forward as leaders, they are helping shape a future that better reflects the hopes, needs, and voices of the wider Munda community – voices that have too often gone unheard.

Today, Surodhani hopes to keep opening doors for women and girls across the wider community, helping create a future where the next generation has more opportunities, confidence, and choice.

And every month in Purba Kaikhali, women continue gathering, planning, saving, and building brighter futures together, showing what becomes possible when women have the chance to meet their potential.

Why stories like Surodhani’s matter to me

One of my lifelong dreams has been to help more women access the tools and opportunities they need to succeed, just as I once did growing up in Lima, Peru. Today, I’m grateful to contribute, even in a small way, by leading our Unwrapped charity gift range at Oxfam GB. 

What may seem basic to some can be life‑changing for others. I experienced this myself when I became the first person in my family to access higher education. That opportunity opened doors that led me to where I am today, sharing this story with you. 

Supporting women in gaining that same access has the power to transform lives, and I’m honoured to witness it happening through this work.

Oxfam Unwrapped continues to support brilliant projects like this, helping turn thoughtful gifts into lasting change for communities around the world. We can’t wait to share more inspiring stories with you soon.