Abstract
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are often considered as panacea for generating labour-intensive employment opportunities needed to absorb expanding labour force, providing much needed flexibility and innovations in the economy as a whole, diversifying economic activities and making significant contribution to export and poverty alleviation. There is disproportionately high concentration of women in the low-productive, low-income generating micro-enterprises and subsequent low representation of women entrepreneurs in the SME sector due to some of the inherent problems of this sector compounded with systematic gender based inequality. Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics show that in Bangladesh, only about 7.4 per cent of the establishments in manufacturing and services as of 2001-2003 are owned by women. This compares with about 20 per cent in India as of 2000 and that of nearly 39 per cent in the South-East Asian region. Clearly it suggests the need for policy push to increase women’s participation and enhance their capacity. Based on a thorough literature review including research and other policy as well as programme related documents, this paper highlights the major constraints faced by women entrepreneurs and suggest appropriate policy measures to address those gaps and challenges from a review of the existing SME policies. It argues that the whole process of SME development should have a clear structure and a vision for enhancing capability of the entrepreneurs to compete in the global and domestic markets which demand special focus on women entrepreneurs who are often marginalized in the existing women unfriendly environment. A broad and comprehensive focus on information and capital accessibility, skill development and marketing linkage is essential to increase women’s participation in SME.
Rita Afsar. (2009) Bringing Women Entrepreneurs In Policy Focus For SME Development In Bangladesh, Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, Vol. 2, Issue 1.
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