It is encouraging to note that over the past few years there has been a significant rise in the number of women entrepreneurs in the country. This increase is primarily attributable to a rising awareness in our women to become self-reliant by engaging themselves with economic activities alongside performing their conventional duties in family. The incumbent government efforts to promote women entrepreneurship has also played its part and the government thus deserves plaudits as well.
A lack of bank loan to women entrepreneurs against the actual demand is the major barrier to the growth in number of women entrepreneurs in the country. Even though various praiseworthy steps, like credit disbursement among women entrepreneurs at a single-digit interest rate, taken by the central bank over the last few years have resulted in a notable increase in the number of beneficiaries, still the percentage of loans received by women is very meagre when compared to the total loans disbursed by the government and private banks in the sector.
We are yet to go a long way to attain
a global standard in terms of
women entrepreneurship
We are yet to go a long way to attain a global standard in terms of women entrepreneurship. In the developed countries, 25 per cent of the industrial and business institutions are owned by women entrepreneurs but the rate is less than 10 per cent in Bangladesh although half of the country’s total workforce is women.
Despite the fact that significant changes have taken place in the socio-economic-cultural landscape of the country over the years, entrepreneurship is still considered primarily a man’s domain here. The society is yet to shrug off its negative attitude towards women-run businesses. Women entrepreneurs often face domestic violence and other forms of barriers from society and family. It is also perplexing that women are mostly engaged in some limited numbers of conventional business sectors.
In order to facilitate increased participation of women entrepreneurs in the economy, the government must take necessary steps to address these issues besides removing loan-related hassles. It must go for some policy recast, if necessary, along with formulation and implementation of pragmatic measures in order to incorporate our women in the economic mainstream in a larger number.
