State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira on Monday said the "Vulnerable Women Benefit (VWB) Programme" is a larger social security programme which will help ensure food security for the country’s rural disadvantaged women.
The state minister made the remark this while launching the 'VWB MIS Web Portal and VWB App' for the selection of beneficiaries for the VWB program under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs at the ministry's conference room in the capital.
She said the VWB programme will help ensure food security for vulnerable women as its beneficiaries will be poor, widowed and divorced women or women who do not have a regular income.
"The women, who are landless and own land less than 0.15 per cent, and women between the ages of 20 and 50 years will be included in the VWB programme,” the state minister said.
Fazilatun Nessa Indira also mentioned that the VWB programme will encourage women to start small businesses and contribute to the economy.
“The participation of as many as 10 lakh 40 thousand women will be ensured in the country's mainstream economy," she added.
Ministry Secretary Md Hasanuzzaman Kallol, Department of Women Affairs Director General Farida Parveen, and Additional Secretary Mohammad Wahidduzaman along with representatives of the a2i and World Food Program (WFP) were present.
The VWB activities will be implemented in all unions of 64 districts and 492 upazilas. A total of 10 lakh 40 thousand beneficiaries will be selected under the VWB program for two years.
They will get 30 kgs of rice every month for two years from January 2023. The government plans to assist 15 lakh beneficiaries under this programme from 2025-2026.
One can apply by calling hotline numbers 109 and 333 from the Union Digital Centre and local computer shop. Besides, the offline application is available for hilly and remote areas where an internet connection is not available.
The application process will run from November 7, 2022, to November 21, 2022.
