Sultana Ahmed

Bangladeshi social entrepreneur eradicating child labor through innovative microfinance solutions

Sultana Ahmed (b. 1988) created the groundbreaking ChildFreeLabs initiative that has rescued 45,000 Bangladeshi children from garment factories since 2020. Her Education Vouchers program links families' microloans to school attendance requirements, ensuring 98% compliance rates. Ahmed's Girls Tech Academy trains former child workers in digital skills, with 72% graduates securing IT jobs above minimum wage. Her 2022 book 'Threads of Change: Ending Child Labor Through Financial Innovation' became a bestseller in development economics. The World Bank adopted her Conditional Loan Framework in 14 countries. Ahmed's 2024 partnership with UNICEF expanded the model to West Africa, impacting 200,000+ children. Her TEDx talk 'How Loans Can Free Children' received 3.1 million views. By 2025, her network had reduced child labor in Bangladesh's export sector by 41%, earning her the 2023 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.