Bangladesh has been registering impressive economic  growth and progress in human development over the past decade. The country is  expected to graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by  2024, will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and  become a developed nation according to its overarching Vision 2041. Despite  achievements, vulnerable employment and increased frequency and intensity of  disaster and climate risks are stalling further development. The COVID-19  pandemic has posed an additional socio-economic challenge to Bangladesh,  exacerbating inequalities, and pushing millions of people into poverty. Women  are enduring the most of these complex challenges, and the pandemic has  mainly had gendered impacts, halting or even reversing much of the progress  achieved in gender equality.  Drawing on the encouraging poverty reduction experiences of the earlier UNDP assisted projects implemented in partnership with Local Government Division, the SWAPNO project intends to assist extreme poor women representing vulnerable households to move out of abject poverty.