Women’s entrepreneurship is perceived to be partly determined by community support. The creation of a women’s business network enables the sharing of information; support by senior individuals or organizations; and the consolidation of efforts that may erode social isolation and self-confidence
Marginalized for decades and centuries by social norms, conflict, or limited opportunities, women are stepping into entrepreneurship, transforming their lives, contributing to national income, and positively impacting societies.
Kashmir’s majority population resides in rural settings approximately 75.19% and the rest 24.81% in urban areas. According to the 2011 census, the rural female population percentage in Jammu and Kashmir is around 53.36% indicating a significant portion of the female population residing in rural areas. Rural women especially in the Kashmir valley face numerous challenges that make them and their businesses vulnerable in the current society. considering the social and economic backwardness of Kashmir, and with added rigid gender roles, there are still big hurdles to women who seek to enter the business line or entrepreneurship careers. One major challenge is limited access to education and skills training. Currently, girls in many rural regions of Kashmir Valley have quit hope of education beyond college level either because of societal beliefs or lack of funds to support them. This corrupts women’s efforts to acquire the knowledge and skills that they need to foster entrepreneurship. Besides, education without the practical aspect of today’s world, businesswomen are left out to struggle in the market. Cultural and social factors of inaccessibility also have their part to play. The social norms in most households in Kashmir require women to be confined to the kitchen rather than achieve dreams in the workplace. This belief system is so heavily ingrained that traps them in their jobs, restricts their opportunity to attend business network functions, and hinders their opportunity to pursue business opportunities. The concerns of the male chauvinist culture also ensure that women cannot own or run these businesses on their own, let alone in family-owned companies. Furthermore, the several constraints found with infrastructural and connectivity conditions in rural regions of Kashmir such as scarce access to markets, transportation, or technology add to the challenges of women-owned ventures. The uncertainty factors in the past have also been brought about by the region’s political instability and security issues thereby making it even harder for the women, who already have a hard time running businesses.
The recent decade in Kashmir witnessed a new revolution of improved economic status and the social development of women entrepreneurs in rural Kashmir. This has been the journey of writing new success stories and bringing economic revolution in the region as well as for gender equality. Challenges affecting women in these regions cannot be underestimated, but with help, creativity, and facilities these feminine entities are becoming capable of improving the standards. Knowledge enhancement through education and the acquisition of relevant skills has been identified as one of the critical success ingredients for women entrepreneurs. Education/training for women empowers them by providing the necessary know-how in the business arena. Such programs include local empowerment, vocational training, computer literacy classes and other vocational training classes, and entrepreneurship training. With improved skills, women in rural Kashmir are in a position to expand market base, introduce new changes, and operate businesses to fit the market.
Women’s entrepreneurship is perceived to be partly determined by community support. The creation of a women’s business network enables the sharing of information; support by senior individuals or organizations; and the consolidation of efforts that may erode social isolation and self-confidence. In the rural areas of Kashmir, especially women’s mobility is still restricted which causes them to lack social support but women’s group support can motivate them and provide them strength to go for entrepreneurship with full support. In addition, the development of ICT and physical networks significantly increases the potential for women entrepreneurs from rural areas of Kashmir. Through better Internet connections, better online selling platforms, and transport networks, women can penetrate larger markets, source inputs from new sellers, and run businesses better. Innovation, financial backing, and a supportive base can help women entrepreneurs in rural Kashmir rise, not just their position in society and their wealth, but the economy in their villages as well. When women excel, families are empowered, socioeconomic development is fostered and other generations of women entrepreneurs in the area are empowered.
The Indian Army has started many sensitive programs to empower the rural women of Kashmir with skill development and economic autonomy. The main activities include the Entrepreneurship Development Programme through which business skills, fundraising, and marketing strategies among others are provided. Nevertheless, the Army also provides vocational skill development counseling and training, including trades such as sewing, weaving, and food processing that empower women by preparing them for income-generating activities. Self Help Groups (SHGs) are encouraged so that women can engage in a collective effort and pull resources together to support each other in business. It receives both funding and exposure to orthodox business practices from NGO engagements and government initiatives. Further, the Army assists in the continuity of the locally made crafts and assists customers in marketing the products. Web literacy programs are also offered so that women can promote their businesses via the Internet. Government support is therefore expressed through the support of the Army in the country’s development through the provision of infrastructural support in rural development projects to support the development of sustainable livelihood. These schemes are altering the destiny, eradicating barriers to society, and producing economic development in rural areas of Kashmir.
women in rural areas, and one such scheme is the Umeed scheme under the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM). Women who graduate from UMEED in entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy, and business management skills have been successful in launching small enterprises in sectors from handicrafts to food processing industries. Another important programs, that play a key role in support of women entrepreneurs in Kashmir, is SAATH. With the approach of skill development, SAATH helps women in upgrading their technical as well as entrepreneurial skills. The essence of this program would be the implementation of introducing female entrepreneurs to larger audiences, in both domestic and international markets, through places like e-commerce and trade shows. One District One Product (ODOP) is an initiative focused on women-led businesses in important industries such as handicrafts, horticulture, and other traditional sectors of Kashmir. The objective of the program is to identify district-specific advantages and help regional female entrepreneurs use them to create sustainable businesses. That was because they were able to say over there HAUSLA, ‘Inspiring her growth,’ which was a comprehensive program for catalyzing women’s entrepreneurship in J&K. This was a 5-month program with 100 women entrepreneurs on board to start with. Then in May 2022, the inclusion of 4 lakh women in more than 48,000 self-help groups under the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (UMEED) with easier access to finance has transformed women’s enterprise development in the rural areas.
The government is also providing opportunities for empowering and supporting young women through the ambitious ‘Tejaswini Scheme’ by providing financial incentives for establishing gainful self-employment ventures suited to their skills, training, aptitude, and local conditions. The initiative was launched by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in June 2021. The general objective of this start-up funding program for teenagers and young women is to empower them and make them self-dependent through their business ventures. According to the scheme, financial assistance up to Rs 5 lakh is provided to female entrepreneurs under Mudra from J&K Bank. These initiatives include policies regarding reservations in political institutions, gender quotas in educational institutions, financial incentives, employment programs targeted to certain people, improvements in health care, investment in girls’ education, skill development, awareness-raising campaigns, enhanced mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation, and legal protection against discrimination based on gender.
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