Determinants And Contribution Of Women Micro-Entrepreneurship In Rural Bangladesh

The overall objective of the dissertation was to examine the determinants of women micro-entrepreneurship and the contribution of micro-enterprises in rural Bangladesh. Based onthe study objective, primary data were collected from northern part of the country, whereagriculture is the dominating sector in the economy and women are involved in farming aswell as non-farming activities. The study area comprises twelve adjacent villages of Bara-Chandipur union under Parbatipur Upazilla (sub-district) in Dinajpur district. Bothwomen micro-entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs were chosen as samples for this study.Data were collected from248women micro-entrepreneurs applying complete surveytechnique. Meanwhile, a total132non-entrepreneur women were interviewed from theselected cluster villages randomly. The study adopted sample statistical approach as wellas econometric model in the direction of research objectives.Applying binary Probit model, the study found among various personal attributes, freedomof work and desire for higher social status were significantly influenced women toparticipate in micro-entrepreneurship. Family hardship also turned likely to be involvedin micro-entrepreneurship. Among various external factors, access to credit, access toskill training, membership with development organizations, and favorable infrastructurewere comprehended as inspiring factors in participating micro-entrepreneurship. On theissue of women's empowerment, study confirmed that women's participation in micro-entrepreneurship had improved their living conditions and earned more respects withinfamily and the society and eventually empowered them. More importantly, women gotmore power on decision making process in respect to family affairs, economic&businessaspects and social issues after participation in micro-entrepreneurship, suggestingpositive contribution to women's empowerment.The regression result revealed that micro-enterprise contributed to increase householdincome and assets position at roughly20and22per cent respectively. In addition, studydepicted positive co-efficient on increase savings and consumption but statistically notsignificant. Respondent self-evaluation assured that women micro-entrepreneurs werebenefited moderately through involving in micro-entrepreneurship activities. Women thoseowned and managed micro-enterprises were better off compared to those were not.Despite significant policy shift from government and development organizations tostrengthening women entrepreneurship, Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs needed to paveextra efforts to gain benefits from micro-enterprises as they had to fight adverse situationsnot only from their family and the society but also from external environment. Theindentified challenges that women entrepreneurs faced at starting micro-entrepreneurshipwere-lack of entrepreneurial skills, lack of start up finance, gender discrimination,management skills, lack of information, access to business support, lack of self-confidence,finding the right contacts for business venture, combining family and enterprise works andworried about societal acceptance. Thus, not only sustained efforts are required toenhance the potentiality of women entrepreneurs but also need to create a favorablebusiness environment that allow them to run business with coping existing socio-culturalbarriers or norms. So, government and development agency should come forward tofacilitate the development benefits based on the identified challenges. Finally, this kind of empirical study is very important, it can help micro-entrepreneurs,policy makers and practitioners to adopt and strengthen the existing entrepreneurshipactivities in rural Bangladesh and elsewhere. Present research findings tend to bemotivated prospective rural women to take micro-entrepreneurship as ingredient ofeconomic and social independence. The revealed research findings might help womenmicro-entrepreneurs to find a path to overcome the existing barriers and grow in asustainable manner. Hence, there should have right policy adjustment, their properimplementation and others necessary initiatives will pave the way for the emergence anddevelopment of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.