Rural women entrepreneurs. Photo: UNICEF

DHAKA, May 25, 2025 (BSS) - Shirin Begum, an woman entrepreneur of Bogura, now earns Taka 15,000 to Taka 20,000 in a month. She invests this money for education and beautiful future of her children.

"If rural women become self-reliant economically, they could be saved from repression in one hand, while the earnings of both wife and husband bring prosperity to the family on the other hand," Shirin Begum said.

There are such a huge number of rural women entrepreneurs in different areas of the country who are working on market management after receiving training through various non-government organisations.

Action Aid Bangladesh, a non-government organisation, had arranged the national colloquium in the capital's Gulshan on market management with the participation of the women of different districts.

Another woman entrepreneur Halima Begum said she started vegetable farming through the training of the Making Market Work for Women Project of the Action Aid. 

Later in cooperation of local administration and Action Aid, she has been able to earn money by selling the vegetables through three collection points. 

Experts said the rural women have huge potentials of becoming entrepreneurs in one hand, while they have also to face various obstacles on the other hand.

To ensure economic empowerment for the women, a safe and female-friendly market is a must, they said, adding their participation in the market system will have to be ensured side by side.

Rashida Begum, who hails from Patuakhali, narrated her story of sufferings in selling her products in the local markets.

Previously there was no scope of direct selling of the agricultural products in the main market due to the influence of the middlemen. As a result the farmers and entrepreneurs were deprived of getting the fair prices of their products.

But that situation is being changed gradually as the government has taken various steps for ensuring fair prices of the products of the farmers and entrepreneurs. 

In this connection, Rashida Begum demanded the government ensure fair prices of the products of the female farmers by creating a direct link between the main market system and them.

Former Director of the Department of Livestock Dr Sheikh Azizur Rahman said there is no scope for denying the contributions of the women to the country's advancement. 

The Department of Livestock is always active to provide support to the women entrepreneurs, he said.

Dr Rahman said there is a huge scope for working in the dairy sector alongside the poultry industry by the female entrepreneurs.

"However, strengthening the marketing of their products is very much needed," he said.

Putting emphasis on creating awareness among the entrepreneurs about the issue as well as raising their skill, Dr Rahman said only the government initiatives are not enough, the private initiatives are also needed in this regard.

He said the country is advancing fast economically, and women empowerment and positive change of their mindset are playing a role behind this.

"This change takes place through the participation of the women in the economic activities," he observed.

He said outlook of the people will have to be changed to ensure economic uplift of the country. Apart from this, the greater participation and equality of the women in economic activities will have to be ensured and market system will have to made women-friendly. 

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SKS Foundation Rasel Ahmed Liton said due to lack of proper environment and facilities, the rural women do not have direct access to the main market though they have an interest in this regard.

"Though they had skills, they could not know how they will earn money and become self-reliant economically by utilising that skills," he said.

Liton said to solve this problem his organisation has undertaken a programme to set up a link between the women entrepreneurs and markets and banks.

He said through this programme, women entrepreneurs have been created in nearly 1000 families. 

"They not only ensured their own empowerment, they also created scope of employments for others," the SKS CEO said, adding as a result the living standard of over six thousand families has developed significantly.

He said the women of Bangladesh are more conscious and more active in improving their condition. "But they lack adequate market management," he said.

He thinks that both the public and private sectors will have to work simultaneously so that the rural agriculture entrepreneurs, especially females one, get proper environment and they can directly take part in the market management. 

He said at the last stage of the four-year scheme, imparting training to the women on market literacy, trade, account management and other subjects has been completed. 

Besides, he said, the female entrepreneurs have been made aware of nutrition, safe sex and reproductive health.