Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship Development

Abstract

Many studies have been conducted all over the world on women entrepreneurship and newlineempowerment. Findings of these studies help us in understanding the socio-economic background, newlineproblems and prospects of women entrepreneurs but there is no single factor which work as the newlineonly determining variable for the phenomenon of entrepreneurship. Though government, nongovernment and other institutional bodies have extended their support, how much of its newlineimplementation has benefitted the women community, the assessment of these interventions newlinebecomes a vital topic of study. newlineThe three main objectives of the study are: newlineTo identify the psychological, socio- cultural/ financial /legal constraints and barriers to women s newlineentrepreneurship. newlineTo identify and assess the intervention mechanisms like Finance, Education and Training, newlineTechnology, offered by Government /Non government/ private institutional bodies which can newlineintervene to assist women entrepreneurs. newlineTo provide recommendations, design appropriate support programs for promotion and success for newlinewomen entrepreneurs. newline The methodology of the study includes a convenient sampling size of 150 women newlineentrepreneurs engaged in various small and medium sectors enterprises in organized and newlineunorganized sectors, traditional and nontraditional was selected. Also sample size of 65 various newlineGovernment /non Government and other institutional supports which help women entrepreneurship newlinewas also selected for study. The instrument used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data newlinewas through questionnaires surveys. Both primary and secondary data was collected. A pilot study newlinewas done to check the validity and reliability of the instrument. The results yielded by this study newlineshowed that indeed women do encounter many constraints and barriers during their entrepreneurial newlinejourney. newline More-over with increasing Government and Non-Government and other Private newlineInstitutions have come to assist women entrepreneurs, no doubt there is a significant growth among newlinethe women entrepreneurs in the recent scenario, but there is a lacuna for the right kind of support newlinefor fostering entrepreneurship development. Assessment of these support institutions was also done newlineand the results of which are outlined in the study. The study also offers implications for policies newlineand programs implementation, emphasizing clarity and outcome of programs and policies. newline newline Empowering women through entrepreneurship was a pre-requisite in the study. The study newlinehad various dimensions of empowerment like Psychological, economic, technological and social newlineempowerment, so more emphasis was to be given to enhance technological and social newlineempowerment dimensions, indicating lot more has to be done in this area by the stakeholders. For newlinecreating a good nation, women are to be empowered, so a society with stability is to assured. newline newline The Support Institutions which involve government and Non-government are not the only newlineone who can fulfill the requirements, but without the full and equal participation of women , there newlinecannot be a sustainable development. Empowerment of women is not only a issue at National level newlinebut also at global level and it requires a long-term multi-prolonged strategy to be carried out newlinecontinuously. newline Finally this study provides the recommendations based on the study which are meant to address newlinethe key issues related to women empowerment through entrepreneurship development. newline