Women’s participation in the economy is essential for not only gender equality and sustainable economic development but also for poverty alleviation. They drive economic growth, foster innovations, and promote social development. Evidence suggests that businesses with at least one woman founder have a more inclusive work culture, employ thrice more women than men, and generate 10% more cumulative revenue. Understanding the potential and need to utilise the gender dividend, HPPI has been giving skill and livelihood training to many women entrepreneurs.
One crucial aspect of ecosystem development for women’s entrepreneurship is access to finance. Many rural Indian women lack the collateral and financial literacy to access traditional forms of financing. Hence, financial literacy training becomes one of the foremost steps of skill and livelihood training. The training empowers women entrepreneurs to overcome these barriers and realise their business aspirations by facilitating access to government schemes and grants. Further, there is a need for skill development and knowledge building for many women entrepreneurs in rural India to run a successful business. Carefully crafted training and capacity-building programs, workshops, and mentorship opportunities can empower women to build the confidence and expertise needed to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. Humana People to People’s (HPPI) Project Disha is empowering the entrepreneurial spirit and championing more awareness by celebrating women entrepreneurs and their communities.
Project Disha, Assam Enabling Business Women
Project Disha is creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem in the districts of Assam with the support of the YES Foundation. It is being executed from October 2022 in the Jorhat, Bojali, and Sonitpur districts, Assam. Since its inception, the project has organised 373 Villages Introductory Events, in which, over 10,000 women have participated. These introductory events are oriented to familiarise women with the Project and its benefits. These events also help to identify the target groups. Project Disha is building a foundation for rural women’s empowerment by providing intensive entrepreneurship training and business development support. This is to enhance their understanding of entrepreneurship skills, livelihood opportunities, the setting up of new businesses, and their growth. So far, more than 2,018 women have already started or improved their businesses and supported other women to start their entrepreneurial journey. HPPI is also implementing similar women’s livelihood projects in three other states—Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, and more than 45,000 women have benefitted in the last 3 years.
Up till now, 10,196 women completed their Entrepreneurship Development Training (EDT) in Assam under the project. During the training, the women were assisted in enhancing their entrepreneurial capacity and strategic planning for the expansion of their existing businesses or start-up ideas. It was done taking into consideration the local enterprise eco-system to ensure that they can minimise the systemic risks. Other key areas covered during the training were Learning Entrepreneurship and start-up through Awareness and Practices (LEAP), enhancing communication skills, budgeting and financial management, loan and financial literacy, business planning, problem-solving, and SWOT analysis among others.
Networking and mentorship are equally essential components in ecosystem development for women entrepreneurship. By connecting women entrepreneurs with experienced mentors, peers, and potential collaborators, women can access invaluable support, guidance, and opportunities for growth. One of the mandates of the project is linking women to Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI). It assists women by providing vocational skill training for bamboo crafts, incense stick making, banana fibre crafts, and soap-making. These trainings, facilitated by various collaborators, are aimed to empower women through skill development for potential careers or entrepreneurship opportunities. Moreover, skill fairs were organised to provide networking opportunities for entrepreneurs to showcase their products, while also offering insights into market strategies and techniques for market linkages.
In addition to the challenges of accessing resources and building supportive ecosystems, rural women entrepreneurs often face significant cultural and social barriers that hinder their ability to pursue entrepreneurship. Traditional gender roles, cultural stigmas surrounding women working outside the home, and lack of support from family members or community leaders can all pose formidable obstacles. To overcome existing barriers, it is crucial to implement culturally sensitive and community-driven interventions. Key initiatives such as community outreach programs, educational campaigns to challenge gender stereotypes, and efforts to promote gender equality and women’s rights at the grassroots level are essential for driving social change. By acknowledging and addressing these cultural and social barriers, a more inclusive and enabling environment for rural women entrepreneurship can be created which will allow them to fully realise their potential and contribute meaningfully to their communities’ economic and social development.
Courtesy: The article was published by Shri Anil Swarup in Millennium Post. (https://www.millenniumpost.in/opinion/nexus-of-good-stewards-of-transformation-579269)
