In the heart of Bangladesh’s sprawling urban slums, overcrowding, poverty, and limited access to healthcare, clean water and sanitation are daily realities for ultra-poor women.

Dhaka’s urban population is growing rapidly – nearly four out of 10 people in the city live in low-income settlements that make up just five per cent of the city’s land. Public health infrastructure is limited, and women in particular are missing out on even basic care. Less than one-in-five women living in urban slums had a skilled attendant at the birth of their child.

A Holistic Response to Urban Health Inequities

Opportunity has launched a new holistic, gender-responsive health and mental health program to address these challenges for ultra-poor residents of Dhaka’s urban slums.

In partnership with local financial inclusion partner Sajida, the unique approach improves health and mental health focused on women with:

• Health education through female Health Leaders
• Primary care support from doctors
• Mental health education, counselling and referrals
• Affordable health finance where families pay just 10% of healthcare costs

Launched in July, the initiative is delivered alongside Sajida’s ultra-poor economic empowerment program, which includes livelihood skills training and low-interest loans to enable women to build sustainable livelihoods.

^{Morseda meets a women’s group who come together from all corners of an urban slum
to share their hopes, challenges and daily lives.}

Women Leading the Way to Health and Dignity

Women are not only the primary participants of the project but also the drivers of change. From leading health forums to participating in steering committees that combat child marriage, violence against women and girls, and other social issues, the project supports women to reclaim agency over their health and futures. Women are empowered with better access to resources, access to knowledge, and their very own network to advocate for and support them in their families and community.

In a community where women and girls face multiple, overlapping challenges around their security, agency and health, this initiative offers them an opportunity to talk and share their daily challenges in a dignified way, be met with empathy, and get the necessary counselling or referral support to overcome these challenges. The program enables vulnerable groups to address stigmatised mental health issues including depression and anxiety and claim their right to the best possible mental health.

Our Health Technical Lead Morseda Chowdhury had the opportunity to visit the project earlier this year and met with women from previous cohorts of this project.

Mental and physical health are inseparable said. “Through this project in partnership with Opportunity, Sajida Foundation stands beside women in urban slums helping them heal from emotional trauma, navigate relationship struggles, and rise above domestic violence. It’s about restoring dignity, hope, and strength to build resilient communities.”

^{Asma works alongside our local program partner to prevent child marriages in Dhaka, Bangladesh}

Improving healthcare for girls like Asma

In the first year, we aim to reach 1,050 ultra-poor households (around 4,410 people), with a focus on women, children, and marginalised groups in urban slum communities.

The initiative aims to:

• Improve access to primary and preventive healthcare
• Increase the number of pregnant women receiving essential antenatal and postnatal care
• Improve the rate of safe, institutional deliveries
• Increase mental health awareness among participants
• Encourage people with mental health challenges to access mental health services

Asma (above) is a 19-year-old girl living in the Tongi slum in Dhaka, and a member of the women’s group, who was supported as part of a previous cohort of this project. Asma is empowered by a women’s network established by Sajida and is now actively working to prevent child marriage in her community. She is also studying an undergraduate degree at a local college. Girls from low-income urban families like Asma’s rarely complete any tertiary education. Most get married before having the chance to further their studies.

With your support, together we will bring holistic health and mental health support to many more women like Asma in Bangladesh, ensuring they can build their own resilience and access better opportunities to work their way out of poverty.