Bangladeshi American Women’s Development Initiative (BAWDI) is a New Jersey-based organization of Bangladeshi women. Most of its members are from the city of Patterson. BAWDI aims to give Bangladeshi women of Paterson a platform to network with each other and empower one another. BAWDI seeks to identify ways to promote, support, and address the needs of women in Patterson as immigrants and Bangladeshis through grassroots organizing, connections, and building sisterhood. The organization’s broader goal is to help Bangladeshi women integrate with the mainstream civic life of America.
The organization was founded in 2012 by S. Nadia Hussain and Tania Chowdhury, both Bangladeshi Americans. BAWDI is committed to helping the Bangladeshi community of Paterson, which has lived in the city for over 30 years, grow in self-confidence, self-awareness, and ideal citizenship.
Bangladeshi American Women’s Development Initiative (BAWDI) meets at regular intervals and provides the following help to Bangladeshi women:
- English Language Assistance for Women
- Bangla Language for Kids and Young
- Educating Elderly/Patrons about American Culture
- Education (school/class/training)
- Job Search (offline/online)
- Housing Information (buy, rent, mortgage)
- Financial Matters (banking, saving)
- Healthcare Information
- Woman’s Right
- Domestic Violence
- Safety Issues
- Mutual Support
- Religious (mosque, halal)
- Recreation, etc.