WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ITS IMPACT ON EMPOWERMENT: A STUDY IN THE DHAKA CITY, BANGLADESH

Abstract

Bangladesh is a developing nation rich in human resources where women constitute slightly less than half the population. They provide an essential opportunity for economic and social development and progress. Women's participation in any kind of economic activity is of a complementary nature to their family incomes; their participation in no way reduces their family duties. Women's equal rights are now defined by women's economic empowerment and the ultimate empowerment is through entrepreneurship. The overall objective of the present study was to assess the women's economic contribution and their participation for enhancing the empowerment in livelihood activities. Dhaka city was selected as the area and the data were collected from 105 women entrepreneurs classifying into three groups namely: boutique and handicrafts, foods and catering and beauty parlor of the Dhaka city. It was found that mostly the educated, middle-aged women with some sort of professional training were mainly involved with entrepreneurial activities. The freedom of decision making in the important spheres of their lives is the leading influencing factors. Since getting the self-respect is the every woman's urged need, they involved in the economic activities like entrepreneurship. Craving for economic independency is another influencing factor. There are some demographic characteristics that influence women to be entrepreneurs among them the education, spouse's education, spouse's occupation etc. The average empowerment of the women entrepreneurs was found 4.30 on a scale of 5 with the help of women empowerment index. It was found that entrepreneurship of the boutique and handicrafts was more profitable than the Food and catering services and beauty parlor by using Logit model. So the study concluded that increased facilities of women education are very much essential for new entrepreneurship. Various types of professional training on skill development of the women entrepreneurs are needed to reach at the very grass-root levels. Moreover the traditional outlook of the people of the society must be changed otherwise every attempts will be in vain.