4. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CWCCI) is one of the leading
Chamber involved in economic empowerment of women in Bangladesh. It was
formed by a group of innovative women entrepreneurs in 2003. Currently the
Chamber is working as a common platform for Women Entrepreneurs & Business
Women in Chittagong region.
• Main aim of CWCCI is to protect, develop, support & promote all measures towards
ensuring a favorable environment for the business enterprises owned by the women.
• The members of the Chamber includes individual enterprises, co‐operatives, private
companies, NGOs and institutions either owned or operated by women, working for
entrepreneurship development amongst women. Our objectives are far reaching, and
increasing number of women are being able to transform their latent potentiality into
reality. CWCCI provides to the members overall technological and business solutions
for sustainability of women entrepreneurships.
5. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• VISION
To emerge as a separate forum for making women entrepreneurs
united and enhance their capacity by providing by broad‐based
business supports and policy guidelines.
• MISSION
To encourage and foster growth, development and sustainable
success of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh with special
focus on greater Chittagong.
6. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
OBJECTIVES
• The CWCCI has been able to achieve amongst other, its major objectives.
• To protect and promote the interest of women entrepreneurs.
• To establish greater co‐operation with government & non‐government organizations, trade bodies & other agencies
both nationally & internationally.
• To search practical & technical resources for women entrepreneurs by providing easy & increased access to the latest
technologies equipment's & services for modernization & expansion of existing small sized enterprises run by the
members & reform with global changes.
• To facilitate participation in regional & global exhibitions, trade fairs, seminars & symposia to get greater exposure to
regional & global business environment & opportunities for the women entrepreneurs.
• To provide training on new product development, business administration, skill development, financial analysis,
market access ability, capacity building & building leadership capability.
• To facilitate access credit for the members.
• To conduct policy dialogues on the issues that impediment development of women entrepreneurs & carry out policy
advocacy / lobbying activities for need based policy reforms.
• To create data base to provide need based sectors specific information to women entrepreneurs.
• To disseminate information on business opportunities, management, exchange of experience & expertise undertake
initiatives to publish news letters & other periodicals.
• To provide legal assistance to women entrepreneurs.
7. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
TARGET GROUP
• Women from all strata’s of life
willing to be socially and
economically self‐dependent and
empowered, irrespective of their
academic, social, religious and
economic background.
• Firms, companies, NGOs and
cooperatives engaged in trade,
industry or any other kind of
business run or owned by
women entrepreneurs.
8. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Service Provided by CWCCI
MEMBERS SERVICES
The suitable growth of trade & business owned & /or run by the business women is
stimulated & encouraged through the professional services of CWCCI. The on‐going
services rendered to its members include:
Business Development Services
Under this service area, CWCCI imparts need based business development services to its
members in sectors in which they deal business. In order to manage required business
development services, CWCCI make formal contract with relevant service providing
organizations & experts.
9. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Technical Services
CWCCI is continuously providing and sourcing technical services to its members in every sector of business,
sometimes occasionally payment basis like training on keeping accounting records & analysis, writing business
plan, financial analysis, leadership & empowerment, basic sales & marketing, product formulation, product
development, product promotions, procurement of raw materials, processing & preservation, packaging,
transportation of processed food products, quality assurance etc. in every aspects of operating a business
successfully.
Networking/Information
Under this service area, CWCCI closely maintains network with different Chambers, governmental
departments & development partners for seeking assistance for capacity building of women entrepreneurs. It
also helps establish buyer/investor linkage & holds business interaction within the members of CWCCI &
between the members of other organizations. Through implementation of these activities CWCCI creates
favorable environment for sustainable growth of the traders owned by its members. Members also develop
business providing product information on the web page of CWCCI.
10. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Skill Improvement Training
CWCCI provides various skill improvements training for its members at its own initiative or in association with
other development partners. National & international level experts are managed for conducting these
trainings. Vocational courses are also arranged both for members & non‐members.
Marketing
Most of the members and member organizations are involved with small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Therefore marketing is a big challenge for women entrepreneurs. CWCCI assists its members by providing
latest market information from different sources and making formal linkages with relevant service providing
agencies. In order to have market information on specific products, CWCCI maintains close contact with
different trade bodies, Chambers, associations, cooperatives, governmental & non‐governmental agencies,
stock exchange etc. located both at home & abroad. Based on information available from these sources,
necessary steps are taken towards making agreements with these bodies.
CWCCI also arranges space for sales & display centers & business establishments in different prime locations
of the city.
11. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Access to Finance
In an effort to create opportunities for members, CWCCI holds dialogues and makes formal
relationships with banks & other fund lending institutions so as to manage loans on easy
terms & conditions. Moreover, it has been providing the following services to its members:
• List of key lending institutions having fund availability
• Hold dialogue with the top management of banks & other lending institutions for
arranging soft loans for business women
• Assist members in preparing loan proposal for bank finance
• Issue recommendation letter in favor of member applicants for easy & early sanction of
loan
• Review return on investment from the proposed investment
• Conduct monitoring on the proper utilization of loan received.
13. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Trade Fair
CWCCI organizes domestic trade fairs on the occasion of
different national days & festivals so as to promote the
products of small entrepreneurs. At the same time it helps
make direct contract with the buyers which are useful for
getting fast hand feedback from the customers. In order to
make familiar Bangladeshi products to international markets,
CWCCI participates various international trade fairs among
which Bangladesh single country trade fairs are not able.
CWCCI also receives and sends trade delegation for making
bilateral business relationships for the general interest of
members.
PUBLICATIONS
To disseminate information to members relating to products
and problems of the trade and investment CWCCI publishes
news letters, journals, annual reports, research papers,
circulars, manuals, survey‐reports etc. on regular basis.
16. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
CWCCI belongs to its Member. To ensure protection of the member’s interests keeping them informed/focused, and
provide them opportunities to participate in the organization’s affairs are the prime responsibility of CWCCI. CWCCI
is managed by a 24 member executive committee elected by the General Body for a period of two years. The
committee consists of one President, one Senior Vice President, one Vice President and 21 Directors. In addition to
Executive Committee it has the following standing committees to ensure smooth operation of its activities.
• Trade Facilitation Committee (Domestic)
• Trade Facilitation Committee (International)
• Service Committee
• Finance and Budget Committee
• Training, Workshop and Seminar Committee
• Membership Committee
• Publicity and Publication Committee
• HR and Administration Committee
• Entertainment Committee
• Communication Committee
17. Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry
CWCCI MEMBERSHIP
CWCCI has two types of memberships: general & Corporate
• General members are the individual business organizations
owned by the women whereas corporate membership includes
NGOs, cooperatives, companies which are working for the
development of women entrepreneurship.
• For membership of any category, an application in prescribed
format along with other documents is to be submitted to the
president of the CWCCI. After proper scrutiny done by the
membership committee Membership is awarded to the applicant.
