Shirin Begum, an woman entrepreneur of Bogura, now earns Taka 15,000 to Taka 20,000 in a month. She invests this money for education and beautiful future of her children, reports BSS. “If rural women become self-reliant economically, they could be saved from repression in one hand, while the earnings of both wife and husband bring prosperity to the family on the other hand,” Shirin Begum said.
There are such a huge number of rural women entrepreneurs in different areas of the country who are working on market management after receiving training through various non-government organisations. Action Aid Bangladesh, a non-government organisation, recently arranged the national colloquium in the capital’s Gulshan on market management with the participation of the women of different districts.
Another woman entrepreneur Halima Begum said she started vegetable farming through the training of the Making Market Work for Women Project of the Action Aid. Later, in cooperation of local administration and Action Aid, she has been able to earn money by selling the vegetables through three collection points.
Experts at the function said the rural women have huge potentials of becoming entrepreneurs in one hand, while they have also to face various obstacles on the other hand. To ensure economic empowerment for the women, a safe and female-friendly market is a must, they said, adding their participation in the market system will have to be ensured side by side.
At the function, Rashida Begum, who hails from Patuakhali, narrated her story of sufferings in selling her products in the local markets. Previously there was no scope of direct selling of the agriculture products in the main market due to the influence of the middlemen. As a result the farmers and entrepreneurs were deprived of getting the fair prices of their products.
But that situation is being changed gradually as the government has taken various steps for ensuring fair prices of the products of the farmers and entrepreneurs.