Speaker of the National Parliament Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said on Wednesday that Bangladeshi women were turning the challenges they face in doing businesses into opportunities and were moving ahead creating space for themselves.
“That is positive and the most encouraging trend for all of us because we know how important it is for women to be economically empowered because women constitute half of the population. Their participation in economic activities is crucial,” she said.
“We want to encourage women to make their space and move ahead. It is therefore extremely critical to extend support to them at all levels,” she said while highlighting the challenges women face in general.
The Speaker was speaking at a virtual panel discussion titled “Women Power - the Force Multiplier” organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham).
The session was chaired by the AmCham President Syed Ershad Ahmed while Chairperson of Dohatec New Media and Member AmCham Luna Shamsuddoha moderated the panel.
BGMEA President Rubana Huq, CFO and Director of Pran-RFL Group Uzma Chowdhury, and Managing Director of Oracle Bangladesh Rubaba Dowla participated as the designated panelists.
The AmCham says they undertake initiatives on vital issues of economic interest with a view to identify the problems, opportunities and recommend action and policies to overcome the snags on the way to progress.
During the outbreak of OCVID-19, the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) sector in Bangladesh out of which women owned CMSME’s took a severe blow.
The panelists with a diverse experience in the women entrepreneurship ecosystem of Bangladesh highlighted the hindering aspects that include access to finance, capital resources, corporate management, technical skills and the long enduring social phenomenon.
A little assistance is extremely effective for them to graduate from micro to more sustainable small and medium sized entrepreneurs going forward even beyond the pandemic.
AmCham believes these support suggestions from the discussion will aim to facilitate linkages between CMSME and government institutions for further advice and support increasing the resilience and help the affected women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh improve capacity enhancement initiatives.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said “entrepreneurship is a vital component of economic development. It is important for industrial growth. Women become important players in this sector.”
“A growing number of women are entering this sector,” she said, adding that they have to operate in a “competitive and complex business and economic environment”.
“At the same time, the major challenges that they face are generally inadequate capital, limited access to credit facilities, sales, promotion, getting initial permissions, trade licences, and other trade documents to start the initial business.”
Other challenges, she identified include lack of knowledge, lack of accounting and managerial skills, lack of training, and technical support, and gender discrimination.
The Speaker said the ongoing pandemic posed new challenges to women.
“We have options for work from home. But children not being able to go to educational institutions add an additional burden to working mothers who have to take care of them,” she said.
Showkat Aki Sarkar, AmCham Executive Committee Member, coordinated the discussion and delivered the vote of thanks where a good number of AmCham members including the Executive Committee Members, foreign dignitaries, business leaders, media representatives and other guests attended.
