Challenges of Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

Despite all their family and social problems, women have struggled hard to achieve their own identity. Women from all classes of Bangladesh want to stand up before everyone in their own right and not as someone's daughter or wife. Women can be a very caring homemaker, but at the same time she can prove to be a highly skilled Entrepreneur, an efficient employee, an administrator if they choose to be. Realizing that the advancement of women can not be prevented patriarchal society is changing its attitude toward women. There has been a gradual change in how people behave with working women. In the work place and at home people are now welcoming women.

A complete scenario of Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh

Women entrepreneurs constitute less than 10% of the total business entrepreneurs in Bangladesh whereas women in advanced market economies own more than 25% of all businesses. It is heartening to note that despite many barriers, a new women's entrepreneur class has arisen in the country taking on the challenge to work in a male-dominated, competitive and complex economic and business environment. Not only have their entrepreneurship improved their living conditions and earned more respect in the family and the society, but they are also contributing to business and export growth, supplies, employment generation, productivity and skills development of the country. A recent United Nations report concluded that economic development is closely related to the advancement of women. "In countries where women have advanced, the economy has usually been steady. By contrast, in countries where women have been restricted, the economy has been stagnant."

Women's entrepreneurship is not an easy task. "Becoming an entrepreneur is an evolution of encountering, assessing, and reacting to a series of experiences, situations, and events produced by political, economic, social and cultural changes." Given the complexities in the social environment and administrative structure, women's entrepreneurship in Bangladesh is more challenging. Many social and operational constraints continue to restrict women from starting and running economic enterprises. Apart from the family and social barriers against the mobility of women, the operational barriers such as lack of access to capital, lack of training facilities for skills development, lack of business services, lack of business data, complex banking procedures and collateral requirements, etc. continue to critically limit their progress.

Entrepreneurship is the driving force to bring about excellence in production, market innovation, human resources and skills development, social mobility, and changes in the attitude of people. Development of women's entrepreneurship offers excellent opportunities for development of one half of the population and for overall socio-economic progress of the country. Women's entrepreneurship indeed can bolster economic autonomy of women, promote gender balance and ultimately can lead to participation of women in broader decision making processes of the country.

The emerging Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh

In recent years, the developing countries of the world including Bangladesh have been focusing attention on the most disadvantaged group in the society - the women. Realization has gradually dawned on all concerned that a society cannot afford to waste half of its human resources by discrimination on grounds of sex. This increasing awareness on the part of the government has led to the adoption of national policies to facilitate a development process involving women in all spheres particularly in economic activities focusing especially on entrepreneurship development. The overwhelming majority of women in Bangladesh are not only poor, but also caught between two vastly different worlds --- the world determined by culture and tradition that confines their activities inside family homesteads, where they are regarded more as a commodity necessary only for bearing and rearing children and the world shaped by increasing landlessness and poverty that focus them outside into various economic activities for survival. Thus the female members, constituting half the country's population, are lagging far behind their male counterparts in all spheres of life. In Bangladesh, though the majority of the working women still have not been able to impose a controlling authority in mainstream production, there has arisen a new class - the women entrepreneurs, who have accepted the challenges of life and have emerged as leaders in the socio-economic development - earning for themselves and for their families or contributing towards the socio-political upliftment of the women. Not only have their greater participation in remunerative work improved their living conditions and provided bargaining positions in the households and wider community, but they are also creating opportunities for the general womenfolk leading to their economic progress and paving the way for a dignified survival through sustainable development.

Women have now become aware of their socio-economic rights and have ventured to avail the opportunities initiated for them. Rural Bangladesh is now a changed scenario for the women who have gathered courage to break barriers and enter the off-house working force as entrepreneurs and workers - a situation not accepted by the society in the past.

The urban areas have greater opportunities for business development but the areas where women lack assistance is in the access to credit, provision of skill training, and market facilities.

Reason of Becoming Woman Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship today has become an important profession among the women of Bangladesh at various levels of the society, both in the urban and the rural areas. The reason for the interest varies according to the different classes of the society. Where women of the poorer sections of the society, especially of the rural areas, due to poverty, have been forced into off-house income through entrepreneurship for economic solvency, the women of the middle class families, who have always lived restricted lives, have today, ventured into this profession as a challenge and an adventure into a new world of economic activity. On the other hand, many women have taken up entrepreneurship and become businesswomen not necessarily to earn and survive and raise the living standards, but to form their careers and become professionals in order to establish their rights through the development of a sector and thereby contribute towards the progress of the society and the nation.

Women Entrepreneurship In last two decades

Over the past two decades, norms segregating and protecting women have been breaking down. However, it is also apparent that female economic participation has in fact, marginalized women mainly because the activities involved in many areas does not provide women complete control over production, in land ownership or in income earned. In regular
cases, the initiatives in this regard have transferred women from the core production activities to marginal ones, such as handicraft, handloom, or home-based industries than the more sophisticated productions involving modern technology, which are usually controlled by the male entrepreneurs. Women are not being able to play a controlling role in the mainstream production where the male power has remained intact. No dent is easily created in patriarchy and the patriarchal value system of the society where women have been forced to enter and is involved marginally, being pushed increasingly into problematic situations. Their work load has increased manifold as they have to do both the domestic work and the income earning ones also. The changing role of women shows that over the last two decades, there has been a steady upward trend in the participation of women in economic activities in developing countries as Bangladesh.

Recent realization on Women Entrepreneurship

Despite the problem of serious under-enumeration of women's involvement in economic activities in a sex segregated society as ours, the potential of women's economic contribution is now well recognized. Greater participation of women in remunerative work is improving their living conditions and bargaining positions in the households and wider community. It is often the case that most of women's labor in economic activities basically saves expenditure for the household, but women are not considered income earners, as the output of their labor is not always marketed by themselves.

The distinct groups of women participation in economic activities outside the homestead are:

(a)Women in rich and moderate male-headed households.

(b)Women in middle and low-income male headed households, and

c) Women in households headed by females.

The importance of women's entrepreneurship development focuses on women's development in general and their participation in income generating activities in particular, while it deserves a special consideration in rational development planning on two counts.

First, leaving the women, who comprise about half the total population, outside the purview of development, no nation can achieve any significant degree of success. It would be like working half strength compared to nations where women make full participation.

Secondly, women's participation in gainful labor is expected to reduce fertility, a common development goal of most developing countries, particularly so for ours.

Women Entrepreneurship in rural areas

Women entrepreneurship in the rural industries is a new arena for investigation in the socio-economic environment of Bangladesh. In view of the need to bring the rural womenfolk in the development stream of the country, both the Government, the NGOs and other related agencies have provided ample opportunities to promote entrepreneurial skill among women. Income-generating activities, credit facilities, skill training, market opportunities have all combined to pave the way for the emergence of entrepreneurial development among women in rural Bangladesh.

Chapter: 03

Women Entrepreneur most likely participating in the following entrepreneurial activities

The women have been found to participate in the following:

(1) Self-Employed: These women have acquired on their own, especially from parents, relatives or friends, the skills and capacities to operate enterprises. Some have under-gone training and apprenticeship or worked as skilled laborers and obtained enough knowledge to start their own business. Self-employed women are lesser in urban areas in comparison to rural areas where greater opportunities lie with the income generating activities of NGOs, which provide credit.

(2) Enterprise Ownership: These women, are the Owner/operators of existing micro-enterprises, and have proven management and technical skill in self-employment. They often wish to expand, upgrade or diversify their business through employment of family members as apprenticeship especially in the rural areas or engage and hire workers for the production when the business progresses in the urban areas. This is the popular structure in the urban areas, where market availability helps the women to develop their trade. Many women working as skilled laborers have ventured to start their own business.

(3) Manufacturing: Women's traditional skill enable them to take up manufacturing in areas where raw material for the products is easily available. Women in these activities employ workers as skilled, non-skilled, permanent or as seasonal workers. With the expansion of business and the development of quality products, training in skill, technology, management
and marketing becomes essential.

(4) Family Trade: Many women are involved in the family trades, hereditarily performed through generations and the skill is traditionally kept within the family. Women in such activities have their enterprises or employment based at homesteads. Manufacturing handicrafts or pottery, involved in food preparation, operating individual units of embroidery, tailoring printing, dyeing, weaving, spinning, net making, etc are some of the activities in
this structure. These women are helped by family members including males.

(5) Agricultural Activities: The rural women participate more in the agricultural sector, especially in operating vegetable gardens, horticulture production, nursery or even rice husking, and preparation of varied rice products.

(6) Sub-Contracting: This new system of generating income in the non-formal sector is providing opportunities for women through a negotiable procedure obtaining orders for products from either, exporters, producers, whole sellers, and middlemen. Women even get orders from enterprise owners, who produce their supplementary goods through these women during peak market demands and these continuous orders provide the women with a stable income. Though the income is not very high, there exits less risks regarding payment.

(7) Partners in Business/ Share holders/ Directors in Family Business Enterprises: Many of the women have become partners or share holders in larger business firms and industrial units. Some have entered the family industrial or business operations.

(8) Traders, Contractors, Order Suppliers, Business Executives: These new occupations have been mastered by the women even though they have to compete with the men. Though the women have to face tough competitions in these areas, it is remarkable to observe that they have proved themselves efficient in their dealings along with men and have succeeded in their endeavors.

(9) Medium and large Industry Owners: Women have become owners of medium and large industrial units either through inheritance or through private initiative. Many educated women are now the proud owners of shipping companies, tea gardens, trading centers, and advertisement firms.

(10) Women as exporters have ventured into exports directly by themselves or through other exporters: Export fairs, international trade fairs, single country fairs and initiative by importers have helped the women to produce quality products for exports. Types of Production Units and Trades include the common small scale production units such as Handicrafts with various types of raw materials, Handloom Weaving & Spinning, Basketry, Mat making, Manufacture of Coir products. Fishing Net making, Paddy husking by Dheki, Oil production by Ghani, Jute production and sale, Jute goods production. Pottery, Cane and bamboo products, Seri culture, Silk weaving, Honey Making, Screen print & Batik, Embroidery, Dressmaking. Tailoring, Puffed Rice Making, Food production (packed or retail sale of dry food), Food Processing, Wood craft & Furniture, Molasses making, Biri (indigenous cigarette made with special leaves) production, Milk production units, dairy and milk products, Dyeing and printing, Book Binding, Confectionery, Urea Molasses Block (cattle feed) etc., Nursery and Horticulture production. Besides these have grown the Agro - based industries and occupations in the rural areas such as: Paddy husking by "dheki, oil production by "ghani" (indigenous oil processor), jute processing, pisci-culture, fishing, fish drying, fish processing which are continued with old techniques. Kitchen gardening, poultry rearing (sale of eggs, poultry, chicks), goat and sheep rearing, cattle fattening are common agro-based occupations. Biri (indigenous cigarette made with special leaves) production, bookbinding, production of urea Molasses Block (cattle feed) etc, nursery and horticulture production are being taken up now due to good profits. Service industries and occupations: Restaurants, (production of snacks, meals, tea, and confectionery) and Tailoring are now familiar professions both in the urban and the rural areas. Home-based shop-keeping is familiar in the rural areas.

Non-Farm Activities: Cane product and jute carpet making, pigeon rearing for sale, petty trade especially with home-based shops, pond lease for fish cultivation and marketing, flower growing for sale to flower shops in the urban areas, fan and cap making. Small shop keeping, photocopy services, boutique shops, home-based garments making, painting and making of greeting cards, paper-bag making & selling, selling of old tyres, fish and vegetable vending, soap vending, rice cake (pitha) making, road-side food selling shops are some of the urban non-farm activities observed.

Innovative Products and New Areas: With the introduction of new technology, development of innovative ideas or even demand for new products, a variety of new areas have developed for women's entrepreneurship growth. These include, artificial flower making, production of straw caps and hats for export, printing of stationery and cards, vegetable dye products for dyeing and printing, patch-work quilt making, cotton spinning from waste garments, stuffed toys, decorative costume jewellery, manufacture of imitation jewellery. Women have also ventured for artificial pond preparation for shrimp culture, women's pisci-culture project for both domestic and export marketing.

Types of Enterprises

The types of enterprises operated by women found were of the following categories:

(1) Traditional;
(2) Non-tradition;
(3) Household or Family Trade;
(4) Labor intensive;
(5) Export oriented;
(6) Industries with modem technology.

Market Areas Where the Women Entrepreneur could work on

The domestic market for non-formal products represents the classical free market structure. It is highly competitive with freedom of entry and exit. Women, especially in the rural areas, had problems of access to market facilities but some did manage to sell in the local market place, to neighborhood house-holds, to buyers and traders at the house, to order suppliers and the middlemen. They also purchased from producers and sold through markets. The international and the export market areas have been penetrated through international fair participation. Women in the urban areas have greater opportunities for marketing.

Income: Experience gained through years helps women earn higher incomes. The reason for the majority of women in cottage and micro enterprises, earning inadequate monthly income, is likely to be the lack of skill required for running of enterprises and the low level of marketable skills of women as a result of their limited access to education and training facilities. Larger units have greater income which varies according to the business involved.

Reflection of success of Women Entrepreneur

The success of the women entrepreneurs have been reflected in their socio-economic developments.

 The economic solvency and changes in the homestead and the enterprise, speak of their untiring efforts and the urge for a better life. Similar are the social and socio-psychological changes where even the gain in the courage to talk with people regarding business or any trade and the knowledge to distinguish between good and bad investments and transactions, are great achievements.

 The nature of changes due to success in business have been observed economically both at the homestead and also within the enterprises or the workplaces.

 Socially and psychologically, the individual qualitative changes are the most effective for it helps the individual to develop herself through her own initiative and perseverance.

 Participation in decision making in family matters and also matters of social importance, removal of social seclusion or the religious sanctions against working women and also decrease in social discrimination against these working women are some of the fruitful achievements.

 Her increase in income is also an increase in the family income, and it provides the family members to have access to a better life-style, including education and better health for the children.

 Modernization of the work-place, introduction of new technology for increased production, increase of workers, along with the increase in the purchasing power upgrades her status both socially and economically.

 Increased self-confidence through participation in trade and generation of income had blessed most of these women with a home and a prosperous future.

Case Study One: Successful Woman Entrepreneur

Persona

Kaniz Almas Khan, CEO of Persona, a renowned makeover artist, beauty specialist and successful woman entrepreneur in Bangladesh. She has discovered people's beauty in a new dimension which turned her into a successful Woman Entrepreneur in Bangladesh.

Now Persona is an organization which provides world class beauty care services with all new features that anyone can ever dream off in Bangladesh. Whoever thought about a beauty parlor with a management team, executives, service providers and many other stake holders? The visionary of this vision is Kaniz Almas Khan.

Journey of Persona: Like other successful entrepreneurs in the world, Kaniz Almas Khan had a long-term vision which is enabling Persona to grow rapidly.

1990 - 1998
Beginning of journey as Glamour.
1998 - 2002
Starting of Persona with 12 performers working in 1800 sqft.
2002

Extension of Persona with 50 performers working in 3800 sqft.
2002 - 2004
Growth of Persona with 100 performers working in 3800 sqft.
2005

Introducing the largest beauty care facility in Asia with around 200 performers

working in 11000 sqft with Studio Persona.

Tree is growing

 A global standard fashion magazine named Canvas, which is a sister concern of Persona.
 Very first male beauty care center named Persona Adams.
 A joint venture beauty care center of Persona with famous Indian beauty care specialist Jawed Habib named Habibs @ Persona.
 Persona is going to open a Gym named Persona Health.
 Persona has introduced Studio Persona, a fully equipped modern photo studio in its premise.
 Persona has already introduced a Spa center named Persona Spa.
 Persona has just launched Persona Institute of beauty and life style, the first ever institute of its kind in Bangladesh. It is an approved center of Edexcel International UK to offer BTEC Diploma in Bangladesh.

Story of Kaniz Almas Khan - It's not a fairy tale

She had a deep passion on beautification of human being. From this passion she went for a beautification course with a view to beautifying herself as well as the people around her after her Higher Secondary exam. Her passion for beautification and the desire to do something creative & independent led her to become a Woman Entrepreneur. Starting from Glamour along with 9 performers in only 1200 sqft, Kaniz Almas Khan has reached to the current Persona. Now Persona is not a beauty care center only, rather its an institution of beauty & lifestyle where people can gather skills and knowledge necessary to practice the art of beauty in a competent and professional manner.

Mother is the best friend of a girl. During her teenage she got huge support from her mother. She got 1200 taka from her mother to do the beautification course in her early life. This was the first step taken by Kaniz Almas Khan to be a Woman Entrepreneur.

Kaniz Almas Khan, herself was lucky enough that she got a very supportive mother-in-law who gave immense support both mentally and financially. Unusual but true fact is that her mother-in-law gave her initial business set up money. Then she started her first venture Glamour. Not only her mother-in-law but also all the in laws, husband and peer groups were her great support.

Challenges she faced

Kaniz Almas Khan was lucky enough that she has faced a few challenges as being a Woman Entrepreneur. But still some challenges are there like:

 Some financial challenges were faced by her as being a Woman while expanding Persona.

 Government fiscal policy and the income tax policy (VAT & Tax) are not favorable to a Woman Entrepreneur. Like other Woman Entrepreneurs, Kaniz Almas Khan faces the same problem. She thinks that this is one of the complicated issues for a Woman Entrepreneur. According to Kaniz Almas Khan, her organization wants to pay tax and VAT to the government but the process is not Entrepreneur friendly.

Key factor to her success

 Everything in the beginning does not go in favor of any Entrepreneur. She realized it very well and apparently was patience enough to carry on.
 Having a long term vision she is moving forward.
 Her ambition is inspiring her to be more successful.
 Her honesty and integrity smoothes her way to success.
 Passion for make people beautiful and look smart are yet another of her key factor to her success.
 Hardworking ability also boosts her confidence.
 Family inspiration never let her down.

Case Study Two: Successful Woman Entrepreneur

SADAKALO

Ms. Tahsina Shaheen, Managing Partner of SadaKalo, a creative fashion designer and a successful Woman Entrepreneur in Bangladesh. Among numerous colors, she has chosen only two colors i.e. White & Black as her main color for designing dress. And this two color concept has brought a revolution in the fashion industry of Bangladesh.

Fashion has become a part of our daily life. It is basically the expression of a personality. Ms. Tahsina Shaheen has understood this fact and with this understanding she has chosen only Black & White colors for expressing personality of all the ages of people with fashion.

SadaKalo - A Revolution In Fashion

On October 04, 2002, SadaKalo was officially launched in Rifles Square. Within a short time SadaKalo has been able to touch the mind of huge people of all ages. With their love and care it was moved to open its second branch at Banani on July 19, 2003, even before the ending of one year of the first branch. SadaKalo moved for its third branch on June 03, 2005, at the theatrical region of Baily Road.

SadaKalo - Unveiled the Unexpressed Desire

SadaKalo emphasizes on meeting individuals' choice and thoughts all together. Ms. Tahsina Shaheen has bridged Bengalis thirteen types of festivals within twelve months with fashion. The most important festival in Bangladesh is Eid; however, there is also Durgapuja, Christmas, New Year, Martyr's Day, Victory Day, Independence Day, Birth Day and Wedding Anniversaries. SadaKalo designs its dresses as well as gift items on the theme of each different occasion.

"That is what I wanted"- this way SadaKalo ensures its customer satisfaction.

Challenges she faced

 Less capital at the initial stage of the venture.
 Bank loan was needed but could not manage to have because of some bureaucratic problems.
 Government burden was not that much at the initial stage but right now VAT and Income Tax policy are not systematic.
 As a SME Idea based business government policy is not favorable for the protection of the ideas.
 Low capacity of production is also regarded as one of the challenges.
 Lack of recognition from the society before success.

Key factor of her success

 Ambition made her step into the entrepreneurship move.
 She has greatly been supported by her parental family from the very beginning. However the support from her in laws has also been regarded as incredible.
 Integrity and hardworking mentality brought success to her.
 She was courageous enough to start a fashion house with only two colors.
 Generating new ideas and making it reality are also a key factor of her success.
 She posses strong desire to do something practically.

Case Study Three: Potential Woman Entrepreneur

STT Associates

Ms. Shahrina Sultana Shapna, founder of STT Associate, is a Potential Woman Entrepreneur in Bangladesh. She brought herself out of the four walls with a view to having independence and desire of lead a comfortable financially sound life. Self solvency acted as the main engine in her case for becoming a Potential Woman Entrepreneur.

STT Associates is a kind of advertisement agency that basically deals with billboards at different locations in Dhaka City as well as stationary & printing items like preparing calendar, Diary, File, Table Watch, Gift items, and Telephone Index etc.

Becoming Potential

STT Associates started moving with an office of 270 sqft which rent was 4000 taka. Initially it was involved in press based printing workings, billboard, color sign etc. At that time billboard, sign board based businesses were not successful. So she had to go thorough touch situation. But with her devotion and hardworking she has been able to overcome this situation.

Right now STT Associates is in its own specious well decorated office at Paltan Tower in Dhaka. By overcoming the initial problems STT Associates is now doing its billboard business with City Cell, Banglalink, Unilever, Mutual Foods Ltd. etc. Not only the billboard, STT Associates is making calendar & diary for BT plastic, Co-operative agency, Chan pie Chinese Restaurant. It is also preparing telephone index for Venus Jewelers Ltd.

The reason why Ms. Shahrina Sultana Shapna is regarded as the potential Woman Entrepreneur because of her organization's annual turnover which is near about 25 lacks taka whereas her turnover at the initial stage was only 1 to 2 lacks taka.

Challenges being faced

 Family bindings were immense at the beginning.
 Competition in this type of business has been intense. So as being a woman she is facing these challenges to a great extent.
 The already existing companies of this genre are getting benefited of coming earlier.
 Commitment based problems were yet another challenge that she is facing.
 She is also facing some kind of challenges from the terrorists.
 Some sorts of technological challenges may arise that is high volume and digitized billboard and banner.

Key factor to success so far achieved

 Tremendous support from her son from the very beginning. And now her husband has also become a support for her.
 Ambition of living a financially solvent life made her step into such entrepreneurship.
 Devotion and hardworking capability for her organization.
 It sounds bit unusual but true that being a woman she in fact gets good behave from the clients.
 She has been solely involved with all the operations of her organization.
 Luckily she found one of her close relative as her financier who had great faith in her ability.
 In her early age she had worked in a private firm and apparently got some experience. This experience later on turns handy.

Case Study Four: Unsuccessful Woman Entrepreneur

!!!

Ms. Alpona, a very talented promising woman, tried to do something by herself in order to take part in the earning of her family. She chose the makeover profession with a view to bringing change in her lot.

She started her move very nicely. Initially she had undergone through training on beautification course. After the training she took a showroom in a large scale and with 2 assistants. She preferred to monitor the whole process done by her assistant though she herself got a training course on beautification.

Her strategy of having a large showroom with two assistants was not proving right. And as a result she was incurring loss. Family pressure was there on her from the very beginning. And when the loss was being incurred the pressure was more intensified. The husband once who had been a great support for her also started criticizing her. So finally she had to quite from her very promising yet loss project.

Reasons that turned her promising project down

 Lack of moral support from the family.
 No one was there to advice her in taking any decision. Like the foremost wrong decision was taking such a large space for her showroom.
 Wrong strategy of monitoring the work rather doing it by herself at the very infant stage.
 Social barrier from the society.
 Initial financial loss made her as well as her husband loss interest.
 Lack of patience is also another reason.
 Absence of advisory help was felt greatly.

Findings of the survey

A survey was conducted to find out the actual facts of Challenges of Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. 150 survey reports have been taken as the standard population for analyzing. And the interesting findings of the analysis of the survey reports are given below:

 Marital status of Women Entrepreneur

Married 64%

Single 36%
 Challenges Women Entrepreneur faces
Social 16%

Financial 51%
Family 27%

Govt. & Political 13%
 Most inspirational fact to be a Woman Entrepreneur
Money
33%

Independence 68%
Family Heredity 5%

Others 11%
 Cultural favorableness of Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh
High 15%

Moderate 49%
Low 36%
 Preferred types of Business at the initial stage
Boutique 42%

Poultry 6%
Tailoring 13%

Merchandising 13%
Others 28%
 Feelings of insecurity in the starting of a new business
Yes 73%

No 27%
 Support of the peer group
High 25%

Moderate 60%

Low 15%
 The extent of future threat
Culture 18%

Technology 30%
Communication 14%

Free Mobility 36%
Others 21%
 Entrepreneurship changes the status of women
Yes 94%

No 6%

Challenges of Women Entrepreneurship

Since women are new in certain aspects of entrepreneurship, they face constraints in many ways, causing hindrances to their regular activities.

1. Male middlemen suppliers, contractors and exporters dominate the industry and take advantage of women's isolation in the home and lack of access to credit, supplies and knowledge about the economy of their work.

2. Women are handicapped in the current centralized wholesale market set-up controlled by men.

3. Women, due to their physical stature often encounter "mastans"(hood looms) rowdy males, whom they find hard to tackle and are stressed to pay money on demand.

4. Women entrepreneurs are often cheated by their male partners in trade through unscrupulous means which may turn hazardous when apt to encounter.

5. Home-based workers lack access to inputs and services like credit, input supplies, markets and new technology that could increase their productivity.

6. Women observing "purdah"(seclusion) often find it hard to visit banks, purchase their inputs or raw materials or market their product in public settings where they would have to deal with men.

7. Rural women do not generally own physical assets that can be used as collateral for loans, as assets are usually in the names of their male relatives.

8. They are generally poor and lacking in both education and self-confidence.

9. They are perpetually in debt to money-lenders or to wholesale suppliers who create serious problems, thus losing much of their meager earning in paying exorbitant weekly interest charges.

10. They often suffer the indignities of sexual harassment, being jostled away from prime selling spots. Sometimes their movements are restricted due to security reasons.

11. Women have no legal knowledge or help in protecting their industries and often fall victims to illegal threats or criminal offences.

12. Problems in business are various. Inadequacy of capital is still the main problem and where available the high interest rates discourage investment.

13. Non-availability of efficient or skilled labor, absence of marketing facilities for women and the absence of proper sales centre are some of the major obstacles to smooth transactions in business.

14. Products are sometimes put up for sale on credit basis creating problems in the collection of the sale money.

15. Due to lack of storing facilities and space, the women entrepreneurs suffer serious problems through damage or theft of the products.

16. The prices of products are often kept low because of competition. Other problems arise when the buyer does not provide the actual price or the whole-seller takes goods on credit.

17. Middlemen create problems with regard to low payment.

18. Lack of improved implements and machinery, existing competition faced due to expansion of production, difficulty in the procurement of raw materials, problems of sales collection, problems increased by middlemen, constraints in transportation and marketing are existing problems for business.

19. Lack of management and production skill, lack of healthy workplace environment and especially lack of training facilities are some of the major constraints which should be overcome for steady functioning of the business.

20. Due to lack of market facilities women do not get the proper prices for their products, which are under priced by the customers or wholesalers who order their products.

21. Government fiscal policy and the income tax policy (VAT & Tax) are not favorable to a Woman Entrepreneur.

22. Bank loan procedures are not that easy because of some bureaucratic problems.

23. Women Entrepreneurs basically starts their entrepreneurship on SME idea based. For SME Idea based business government policy is not favorable for the protection of the ideas.

24. Lack of recognition from the society before success makes the Women Entrepreneur to loss their motivation.

25. Commitment based problems is yet another challenge that Women Entrepreneurs are facing.

26. Absence of advisory help and lack of patience are also another challenges of Women Entrepreneurship.

Some more challenges

• Low Investment;

• Low Profit Activities;

• Slower Growth Rates of Women Owned Enterprise;

• Institutionalized Inequality at the Macro-level and Household levels;

• Women's Restricted Access to Property, Income and Credit;

• Institutionalized Discrimination in Legal Systems;

• Access to and Control over Resources;

• Gender based Social Impediments;

• Unfavorable Infrastructure and Support Systems

Key to success of Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh

 Everything in the beginning does not go in favor of any Entrepreneur. So every Women Entrepreneur should have enough patience to carry on.

 Every Women Entrepreneur should posses a long term vision to success.

 Ambition is regarded as an inspiring fact to be a successful Women Entrepreneur.

 Honesty and integrity smooth the way to success.

 Hardworking ability boosts the confidence of Women Entrepreneur.

 Family inspiration never let them down.

 Engaging in production or rural industrial activities seems to be the most viable avenue for which the women should be assisted to take up.

 Non-government organizations have equally joined hands with the government efforts for economic salvation and provided various forms of opportunities for women to help them earn their living, paving the way for greater entrepreneurship development.

 The urban areas have greater opportunities for business development but the areas where women lack assistance is in the access to credit, provision of skill training, and market facilities.

 Development of Banks with separate advisory service cell for women.

 Separate counters in counters in commercial banks for women.

 Arrangement of exclusive fairs to promote products manufactured by small & cottage based units.

 Fixed quota of stalls for women entrepreneurs at export fairs.

 Special market facilities both in the domestic and the international arena.

Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

FBCCI has a strong Standing Committee, for Women Entrepreneurship Development. The activities of the Committee include:

(1) Setting up of a Women Entrepreneurship Development Cell;

(2) Identification of women entrepreneurs of Bangladesh;

(3) Publication of a directory of women entrepreneurs with their addresses, forms of business, products manufactured etc.;

(4) Organizing entrepreneurship development training;

(5) Organizing convention of women entrepreneurs, discussion meetings on the problems and prospects of women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh;

(6) Presenting awards for successful women entrepreneurs etc.;

(7) Arranging market opportunities.

Conclusion

Women have now become aware of their socio-economic rights and have ventured to avail the opportunities initiated for them. Rural Bangladesh is now a changed scenario for the women who have gathered courage to break barriers and enter the off-house working force as entrepreneurs and workers - a situation not appropriate for women or accepted by the society in the past. Working as labor may give them temporary employment but it does not improve their conditions or promote their advancement. Scope of trading activities especially in the rural areas, in view of extensive poverty and the large number of people who need to engage in income earning activities, is limited.