EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN DHAKA CITY

Abstract

Bangladesh is a developing nation rich in human resources where women constitute slightly less than half of 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 determine some selected characteristics of the women entrepreneurs, to determine extent of empowerment of women entrepreneurs and to explore the relationship between each of the selected characteristics of the women entrepreneur and their empowerment. Dhaka city was selected as the study area and the data were collected from 104 women entrepreneurs classifying into three groups namely: boutique and handicrafts, foods and catering and beauty parlor of the Dhaka city by using an interview schedule. Data were collected during 25th July to 24th August, 2019. Scales were developed in order to measure the variables. Less than half (49.1 percent) of the women had lower middle empowerment while 47.1 percent had upper middle empowerment and 3.8 percent had low empowerment. Pearson Product Moment correlation was used to ascertain the relationship between each of the selected characteristics of the women to their empowerment. Among the selected characteristics annual family income, organizational participation, training exposure, knowledge on family management, family co-operation and participation in household decision making process of the women showed positive significant relationship with their empowerment. Whereas, age, education, family size and cosmopoliteness of the women had non-significant relationships with their empowerment.