Bangladesh is a country of immense potential having a rapidly developing market-based economy. It has an aim to attain the middle-income-country status by the year of 2021. Approximately half of the total population of this country is women. It cannot achieve the aim if half of its human resources remains unproductive on account of discrimination on grounds of gender. So increasing awareness on the part of the government and NGOs have led to the adoption of national policies to facilitate a development process involving women in all spheres particularly in economic activities focusing especially on entrepreneurship development.
Women entrepreneurs constitute less than 10 per cent of the total business entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, whereas women in advanced economies own more than 25 per cent of all businesses. It is heartening to note that a section of women entrepreneurs are coming up despite all barriers to take up the challenge to work in a male-dominated, competitive and complex economic and business environment.
In the development stream of our country, the government, the NGOs and other related agencies have provided ample opportunities to promote entrepreneurial skill among women. Women have advanced their cause in industrial ventures, especially in the small and cottage and micro home-based ones. Their present involvement with manufacturing activities in growing numbers is likely to continue. Women have emerged as exporters and the export-oriented industries are promising areas for enhanced female participation and employment.
Women's growing involvement with the construction of civil works gives evidence to their potential regarding market growth opportunities and should be encouraged. To stimulate female entrepreneurship and create further employment opportunities, training programmes on relevant issues need to be provided for women currently in business. Where women have access to market information and display of products, they can add to their business acumen, especially with respect to demand for a wide-range of products they might choose to produce.
The capacity of assessing risk is a major factor in entrepreneurship development in any country. Development in the present-day world is actually technological development. Production cannot meet the market demand, unless the quality is updated every time by using advanced technologies.
At the DCCI, SME Foundation, Yunus Centre for Social Bbusinesses is taking an initiative to create innovative entrepreneurs of Bangladesh in collaboration with Bangladesh government. It is good but for creating women entrepreneurs there is a need for special facilities to develop their enterprises. The facilities to be developed should include:
(1) Development banks with separate advisory service cell for women;
(2) Separate counters in commercial banks for women;
(3) Arrangement of exclusive fairs to promote products manufactured by small & cottage units;
(4) Fixed quota of stalls for women entrepreneurs at export fairs;
(5) Increased advertisements on special market facilities both in domestic and international arena.
(6) Proper use of global information for crating women entrepreneurs.
(7) All schools, colleges and universities should be brought under internet network so that rural women will be able to get access to the facility as well receive training on e- marketing/global marketing.
(8) Increasing mass awareness for creating women entrepreneurs through campaigns by NGOs, colleges and universities.
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rumahalder.09@gmail.com
Developing women entrepreneurship
Ruma Halder | Published: March 01, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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