http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/584 Fri, 15 May 2026 12:44:28 GMT 2026-05-15T12:44:28Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/633 Innovative Initiative to Promote Women Entrepreneurship Through Women Entrepreneurs Association of Tamil Nadu [WEAT]: An Initiative of Centre For Women’s Studies, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli Manimekalai, N Women Entrepreneurship Development has been a challenge for many industrial promotional agencies in India. Entrepreneurship Development Programmes have not succeeded in bringing desired results. Efforts to promote entrepreneurship through STEP, EDC etc. also yielded with limited results. Similarly teaching entrepreneurship in colleges, conducting awareness programmes has stopped with the awareness alone failed to go beyond taking up entrepreneurial activities. Given this it was attempted to analyse the prospects and problems of women in micro enterprises in Tiruchirappalli district which revealed that women entrepreneurs largely confirmed to micro scale of operation, mostly service and trade, and feminine and traditional nature of activities in which women were found since long. These women were not able to avail any formal credit and largely depended only on informal credit taking away their lion share of profit. Given that majority of the women entrepreneurs in the micro scale were pushed to assume such occupations due to their poor economic background, who do not have any organization or association to support their demands to government or any other bodies to collectively represent their issues, it was recommended strongly to have an association. It is the outcome that study done in 2001 by the author of this paper that the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Tamil Nadu [WEAT] could be initiated with the modest number of just 35 members in the beginning which has risen to 526 numbers at present. Primary aim of this initiative is to bring likeminded, budding as well as struggling women micro entrepreneurs to come together to represent solidarity to promote entrepreneurship, ultimately taking it as a movement to make interested women to be job providers rather than job seekers. One of the major objectives of the WEAT is to promote grass root women to become entrepreneurs not necessarily self-help group women but women in micro scale or self-employed women and further to help the existing entrepreneurs to expand their scale of operations. Progress of WEAT: 1. WEAT within its short period of inception, able to attract several women to become members, undergoes training, prepare project, get bank assistance and start their units and run the unit. The specific progress and strategies followed may be outlined as follows. 2. 26 women entrepreneurs could start their garment units by availing bank credit 3. More than 40 existing women, who were already engaged in certain micro entrepreneurial activities, were able to expand their scale of operation. 4. 43 women were able to receive intensive food processing training for five days and able to diversify their products 5. 36 women were given computer training able to either work with ITES or initiate ITES Another 20 each woman who had undergone the above training will be tied up with bank loan to initiate BPO and Food processing units, which is under processing. 6. Another 30 women were given training on Eco green products such as banana fibre products, areca nut leaf plates, fly ash bricks etc. are also given and their application to install machine and start the unit is under processing. 7. The members of WEAT are taken to give training to College students with attractive honorarium. 8.They are taken to interact with college teachers to take the message of their struggle to progress and survive in the field. 9. The have also been recommended to be professional trainers to DRDA, Women Development Project, Tsunami affected areas etc. 10. Above all, the products of members of WEAT as well as SHG women are exposed to regular exhibition cum sale in the University and College Campuses, every two days in each colleges, in around 10 colleges and University campus ensuring thereby 22 days of regular marketing of their products, which has contributed to expand their business 11. All women enterprises have been started in three different places, in which the members sell most of the products produced by the WEAT members 12. Effort to approach the district administration to give space in market areas to display their products, to make them members of various task force committee to represent their issues, exploring various future opportunities for promoting women entrepreneurship etc. 13.Every 15 days meeting of the entrepreneurs inviting various officials, entrepreneurs, association etc. motivating them has been on going. 16. The strategies followed are tying up with various organization which are working for women entrepreneurship, helping them right from identification up to starting the enterprises, marketing etc. and networking with similar organizations which deliver the good without any cost. Above all, the credibility that they have on the University, which is an academic body not NGO and self-less, price less service given by the Centre, the access, the response and facilitation which all go a long way in bringing such a progress for WEAT. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/633 2007-03-21T00:00:00Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/632 Entrepreneurship among Women in India: Strategies for Economic Development Paltasingh, Tattwamasi It is a common assumption that majority of women in India are economically non-productive as they are not involved in activities that are financially remunerative. But this trend is gradually changing. Women across regions have started showing interests to be economically independent. Interested women with creative and innovative ideas are coming forward to start the small and medium sized enterprises. They are ready to gain experiences, willing to work hard in a supportive environment. Establishment of such enterprises through the initiatives of the women depends upon a number of factors. The experiences of the existing women entrepreneurs can facilitate the aspiring ones to overcome the hurdles. The socialization process, the cultural practices in specific regions, the influencing condition, the support system, the past experiences of other entrepreneurs and many such factors play a role in the making of women entrepreneurs. Yet the potentiality and talent among the women is not identified adequately with only about ten percent of the women being entrepreneurs in some of the developing countries including India. At this critical juncture when the job market is down; these aspiring women entrepreneurs can be encouraged to set up the enterprises so that, apart from being independent they can employ people in their workforce. In the long run, these women can be the backbone of the regional as well as national economy. The paper is an attempt to understand the issues and initiatives in developing the entrepreneurship among women in India. For clarity and notwithstanding the broad theme, the paper is divided into few relevant sections. In section two, there is discussion on the importance of small and medium sized enterprises and how these sectors have played a crucial role in women's empowerment. The impact of globalization and use of local resources is included in this section. Section three is about the women entrepreneurs in India with a focus on both rural and urban women. The various problems and issues confronted by the women entrepreneurs are the other areas of discussion in this section. Strategies for strengthening women entrepreneurship is the focus of the next section. Appropriate training interventions and creation of market opportunities through community participation is discussed as sub sections of strategies. The last section of the paper is a discussion on the relevant policy issues. On the whole the paper would carry on the discussion that entrepreneurship among women has tremendous positive implications to empower them and contribute to economic transformation in the society. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/632 2007-03-21T00:00:00Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/631 Financial Obstacles Faced by Women Entrepreneurs in Northern India: A Socio-Economic Analysis Kumar, Anil This paper examines the financial barriers of small and micro enterprises owned by women entrepreneurs in Northern India by taking a sample of 450 respondents from five states of Northern India i.e. Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. The analysis of data reveals that the extent of problems relating to finance has declined considerably under new economic regime. It is due to liberal policies followed by financial institutions towards SMEs. Women entrepreneurs face the problem of fixed capital in business. Suitable policies need to follow to allot plots/sheds for women entrepreneurs. It becomes more important due to sky rocketing prices of land and difficulty for the entrepreneurs to purchase plot/building to start their business and consequently have to pay high rent. The problem relating to working capital can be solved by providing loans against different assets. Financial institutions should not insist more on collateral securities while advancing loans. It will be useful to SMEs to sort out the various problems of finance. Small proportion of women entrepreneurs also faces problem of lack of coordination and problem relating to various other formalities. Financial institutions should increase the awareness of their schemes among small and micro enterprises. Increase in awareness of these schemes can be more useful to these enterprises to avail various benefits. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/631 2007-03-21T00:00:00Z http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/630 Changing World: The Emergence of Women Entrepreneurs Badshah, Leena The development of human Society and civilization is dependent on systematic and planned usage of its manpower and resources. In the Independent India, through constitutional proceedings, provisions are made for upliftment and development of the scheduled castes, tribes and women. Now conscious and constant efforts are made through policy formations for planning and effecting development of Women Entrepreneurs in most of the Developed and Developing countries of the world. While perusing through traditional Indian Social System, the concept of Women Entrepreneurship is an event, that brings in changes in the basic social and economic structure. In the present days there is fast evolvement and development in Women Entrepreneurship in urban and Metro centers. So it is essential to understand the process of development of Women Entrepreneurship. In the original research, "Women Entrepreneurs of Gujarat" were sociologically studied and an attempt was made to understand the beginning and developmental stages of their enterprise, their marriage and family life, their personality factors and their problems. In this presentation, the developmental details of Women Entrepreneurs are discussed. Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.ediindia.ac.in:8181/xmlui//handle/123456789/630 2007-03-21T00:00:00Z