RURAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN SIRAJGANJ DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH: A CASE STUDY ON THEIR CHALLENGES AND PREPARATIONS

Abstract

Bangladesh's women entrepreneurs face challenges in various economic sectors, including rural and urban areas. The percentage of businesses owned by women has decreased from 12.7% in 2013 to 7.2%. Despite this, women entrepreneurs still have a significant presence due to higher income, education, and greater societal acceptance. Challenges faced by women entrepreneurs include cultural norms, limited access to connections, financial difficulties, education imbalance, and work-life balance. As women make up 50% of the population and 40% of the labor force, their economic participation is a challenging aspect of entrepreneurship development. This study examines the socio-economic status, challenges, and impacts of rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, focusing on the Sirajganj district. Data was collected from 100 households using a multi-stage sampling strategy with a 95% confidence level and a 9% margin of error. Index analysis and crosstabulation were employed to analyze the data. The respondents' age distribution revealed

that 50.0% were in the middle age group, 41.3% in the older age group, and 8.7% in the

younger age group. In terms of education, 2.00% were illiterate, 5.3% had basic literacy,

36.7%

had completed primary education, 40.3% had attained secondary education, and 11.7% had higher secondary education. 4.0% of the respondents held a degree or higher qualification. Regarding experience, 41.67% of respondents had more than 10 years of entrepreneurial experience, 33.33% had 5 to 10 years, and 25.0% had less than 5 years. Most respondents (30.3%) operated businesses in the clothing/textile sector, followed by beauty care (26.3%), handicrafts (23.7%), and grocery/stationery (13.2%). Factors contributing to a favorable business environment included ‘authority over business’ (μ = 4.03, σ = 0.923), which ranked highest among both married (μ = 3.95, σ = 0.99) and single (μ = 4.20, σ = 0.27) respondents. ‘Equal opportunities for women’ ranked second (μ = 3.99, σ = 0.792), particularly important for single respondents (μ = 4.30, σ = 0.78). Barriers to entrepreneurship included work-life balance (μ = 2.70, σ = 0.462), management skills (μ = 2.61, σ = 0.544), and networking challenges (μ = 2.61, σ = 0.544). Single respondents rated faith in women’s leadership (μ = 2.71, σ = 0.46) and gender discrimination (μ = 2.57, σ = 0.51) higher than married respondents, indicating they face more significant barriers. The study emphasizes the need for improved education, training, financial support, and an inclusive business environment to empower rural women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.