JITA Social Business Bangladesh Ltd.Generating income opportunities for poor women



JITA’s business model has been developed to create income opportunities for rural women from low socio-economic backgrounds.The women, called Aparajitas - meaning “women who never accept defeat" -, are recruited to work in door-to-door sales. Their product basket ranges food and sanitary items and household devices, often unavailable in rural communities.
Aparajitas, the foundation of JITA’s supply-chain, earn income through sales commissions. They obtain the products from JITA hubs, the local distribution businesses developed by JITA, which source from different partner companies. JITA engages marginalised and previously jobless women, thus helping to alleviate them from poverty.
Partners
JITA Social Business Bangladesh Ltd. was incorporated as a for-profit social enterprise in 2011. The company was developed from the Rural Sales Programme run by the non-profit organisation CARE Bangladesh from 2005-2011.
Unilever Bangladesh is one of the distribution channel partners of JITA and contributes through a win-win scenario where JITA reaches consumers through its wide networks, while Unilever gets an extended rural market for its products.
Oxford University works in a three-year partnership with JITA to conduct ongoing consumer impact assessments. The partnership is allowing JITA to create an innovative impact framework as well as an improved product and access strategy.
SEED Library
Supporters

The 2014 SEED Gender Equality Awards are supported by UN Women, the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

The 2014 SEED Gender Equality Awards are supported by UNIDO, which promotes and accelerates inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

The 2014 SEED Gender Equality Awards are supported by the international law firm, Hogan Lovells.