• Women Entrepreneur• It may be defined as a woman or group of women

who initiate, organize and run a business enterprise.

• Government of India has defined women entrepreneurs as owning and controlling an enterprise with a woman having a minimum financial interest of 51% of the capital and giving atleast 51% of the employment generated in the enterprise to women.

Women As Entrepreneur

• Women entrepreneur are those women who think of a business enterprise,  initiate it organize and combine the factors of production, operate the enterprise,  undertake risk  and handle economic uncertainties involved in running a business enterprise.

• With education and training, the women have gained confidence to do all work, which was the prerogative of man and do it excellently, rather better than men. Over the years, the educated women have become ambitious, acquired experience and basic skills of competency and self-assurance.

IMPORTANCE/ROLE OF WOMEN AS ENTREPRENEURS

• A good share of the population.• Creation of jobs.• Independence of women in society.• They must be made part of the economic development,

because it will strengthen the economy of the country. • The economic status of women is now accepted as an

indicator of a society’s stage of development.• Communication Skills.• Creativity/Imaginative.• Motivation.• Patience.• Marketing, Sales.• Ability and desire to take risk.

WHY WOMEN BECOME ENTREPRENEURS?

PULL FACTORS• An urge to do something new• Liking for business• Need and perception of Women’s Liberation, Equity, etc.• To gain recognition, importance and social status.• To get economic independence• To build confidence• To developing risk-taking ability• To gain greater freedom and mobility

PUSH FACTORS• Death of bread winner• Sudden fall in family income• Permanent inadequacy in income of the family

The category of push factors forms a negligible percentage of women entrepreneurs.

BASIC PROBLEMS/BARRIERS FACED WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

• Responsibility towards family, society and work.• Male dominated society.• Tough Competition with large scale units.• Lack of business training.• Lack of education.• Obtaining credit.• Non-awareness of facilities provided by

government.• Physically weak.

• Very few women have the tangible property in hand.

• Inadequate motivation• Discriminating treatment• Cultural values• Lack of courage and self-confidence• Lack of social acceptance• Lack of freedom of expression• Unjust socio-economic and cultural system

Measures To Improve Conditions Of Woman Entrepreneur

• Better educational facilities and schemes should be extended to women folk from government part.

• Adequate training programme on management skills.• Making provision of marketing and sales assistance from

government part • Procedure of getting finance should be simple• Effective propagation of programs and schemes.• Linkages between product, services and market centers.• Encouragement to technical and professional education.

• Involvement of Non Governmental Organisations in women entrepreneurial training programmes and counseling.

• Training in entrepreneurial attitudes should start at the high school level through well-designed courses.

• More governmental schemes to motivate women entrepreneurs to engage in small scale and large-scale business ventures.

E.g. of SUPPORTIVE MEASURES

• Direct & indirect financial support• Nationalized banks, State finance corporation, Small

Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)• Yojna schemes and programmes• Nehru Rozgar Yojna, Jawahar Rozgar Yojna• Technological training and awards• Stree Shakti Package by SBI, Entrepreneurship

Development Institute of India, Trade Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD)

• Federations and associations• Federation of Indian Women Entrepreneurs (FIWE), Self

Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)