Page 68 - DMGT310_ENTREPRENEURSHIP_AND_SMALL_BUSINESS_MANAGEMENT

Unit 5: Women Entrepreneurship

Indian Women have come a long way with changing time. Interestingly issues related to women Notes
in India, like female foeticide, bride burning (for reasons of dowry) and ‘sati’ (widow burning)
are a passé in Modern India. Each of these acts is a criminal act and an extremely rare occurrence
is now being reported.

Did u know? Some interesting facts on status of women in modern India:

India has the world’s largest number of professionally qualified women.
India has more female doctors, surgeons, scientists and professors than the United
States.

India has more working women than any other country in the world. This includes
female workers at all levels of skill – from the surgeon and the airline pilot to bus
conductors and menial labourers.

Ironically, even with such advancements made by women of modern India, on an average
women in India are socially, politically and economically weaker than men. But moves are
underway to empower women. The most news-making development was the introduction of
the Women’s Bill in Parliament in late 1998: the Bill seeks to reserve a certain percentage of seats
in Parliament for women. The passing of this bill has lead the women to be a part of law making
body and hence has given them a chance to protect their interest. Moreover, there is a National
Human Rights Commission for Women that handle all human rights violations against women,
there is National Council for Women that advocates policy for women, there is an entire ministry
for women that formulates and implements policy for them. Hence the efforts are on to raise the
status of women in modern India.

Notes The call of the present time is that women should be financially independent. But
the problem with financial independence of women is that the availability of jobs (in
general for both women and men) is very less and hence some new methods have to be
sought out by women to gain financial independence.

Entrepreneurship among women can be eyed as a tool for Employment and Income Generation.
The concern to develop more women entrepreneurs emerges from the fact that women represent
50% of the world population, but receive only 10% of the world income and less than 1% of the
world’s assets. Efforts have been made by various governmental and non-governmental agencies
all over the world to promote women entrepreneurs. The results are somewhat encouraging.
There is growth in the number of women opting for entrepreneurship as their career option.
There is also a perceptible shift in the nature of businesses being set up by women in India. The
myth that women are fit only for papad and pickle making is shattered completely. Women
entrepreneurs are making a mark in the garment and service industries, as also in the computer,
chemicals and construction material industries. The development of women entrepreneurs is in
line with the overall entrepreneurship development in the country. ‘The Women
Entrepreneurship’ in Modern India is there to stay.

5.1 Scope of Entrepreneurship among Women

Although many women have advanced in economic structures, for the majority of women,
particularly those who face additional barriers, continuing obstacles have hindered their ability
to achieve economic autonomy and to ensure sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their

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