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International Conference on"Harnessing Entrepreneurial Potential of WomenFor Economic Growth"Organized by Manipal Institute of Management, ManipalTo be held during January 22-24, 2009
WOMAN ENTREPRENEURS AND NETWORKING
Prof. Chowdari Prasad
Professor of Finance & Registrar, Alliance Business SchoolBangalore – 560 068, Email: Chowdari.p@absindia.organd
Vamshi Krishna Arumbaka
PGP Student (Marketing),
Alliance Business SchoolBangalore – 560 068, Email: Vamshiavk@yahoo.com
Abstract
The average Indian woman plays many roles in life - as a daughter, sister, wife, mother,employee, professional, employer, business woman, etc and contributes to the well-being of her family. Though media sings hymns of stories of a very few successful female professionals or entrepreneurs, the reality is scary. Literacy rate among women continuesto be very low. Despite several claims and policies about their emancipation, only 10%of the entrepreneurs are women. They still walk many miles everyday for water, food,work, education, etc. Although entrepreneurship is catching up in post reforms era, theyhave many hurdles to cross and extra battles to win to be on par with men.Women have contributed as ‘Intrapreneurs’ for far too long by remaining behind their men. The new breed CEOs are no longer subject to biases based on gender. Many womenare now opting to craft their goals and dreams to become entrepreneurs. Government Schemes and availability of institutional finance support them fully. The paper looks at the success stories of leading women entrepreneurs who are net-worked. Lijjat Papad,SEWA, AWAKE, FIWE, and many SHGs are examples of testimony for believing that changes can bring more and more women to network.
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Introduction:
One woman starts dreaming to do something big, concrete, different or unusual to harnessher potential and wants to convert the dream to reality. Others keep a watch and follow or  join her subsequently in her endeavors and the networking takes place. There are certaininherent qualities that make her an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is not merely starting a business and making profits. Almost 35% of the women in India are surviving economiccrises for long years silently. There are several hurdles that hinder and her dream remainsa dream. Hurdles that the age old customs, traditions, culture, religious practices, etc.,that restrain them to be progressive.
Indian Women and Literacy
:Literacy rates in India are very low. National Literacy Mission (NLM) statistics show thatonly 54.16% of women are literate. The Commission also lists out factors responsible for  poor female literacy rate. Historically, a variety of factors have been found to beresponsible for poor female literacy rate, viz.,1.Gender based inequality2.Social discrimination and economic exploitation3.Occupation of girl child in domestic chores4.Low enrolment of girls in schools and5.Low retention rate and high dropout rateTo improve the literacy rate NLM suggests the following measures:
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Create an environment where women demand knowledge and information,empowering themselves to change their lives.
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Inculcate in women the confidence that change is possible, if women work collectively.
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Spread the message that education of women is a pre-condition for fightingagainst their oppression.
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Highlight the plight of the girl child and stress the need for universalisation of elementary education as a way of addressing the issue.2
 
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Literacy in women enables them to reach a state of heightened social awareness,increase in school enrolments, and increase in self confidence and personalitydevelopment, gender equality and empowerment.
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It also helps in improving the woman's status in the family, health and hygiene.Literacy helps developing entrepreneurial spirit in women. Participation of women inliteracy campaigns has opened several opportunities for neo-literate women to step out of the households and involve themselves in some enterprise or a new vocation. The Dumkacampaign in Bihar has demonstrated how literacy campaign helped women to take chargeof their own lives. They have formed a group called “Jago Behna” (Awake sister), whichtries to sensitize the women to the need of collective action against social ills. Thesewomen have also set up “Didi Bank” (Sister Bank) which promotes the habits of thriftand savings.Women have also learnt maintaining a hand pump thereby breaking their dependence for repairs on mechanics from outside the village. It also helps them to achieve financialstrength and access to credit. In almost all the districts, the literacy campaigns have gone beyond the transaction of mere literary skills and have served to enhance knowledge andskills for better management of expenditure and improving earning capacities. In severaldistricts, the women participants in literacy campaigns have begun to set aside their earnings not only in regular banks but also in specially thrift societies. Such societies, asfor example in Dumka are run by the women themselves.It is the unity and determination of these women that made this drive a grand success.Women at Dumka realized that being in a group or community is always fruitful than being a lone soldier. The power of networking is in its convergence. The convergence of ideas, thoughts, motivation, and fight will always end up in the convergence of benefits.And networking is what would solve the evil. Networking helps the change to happengradually but steadily and in an ever increasing way in concentric circles. Networkingwould help women to be in touch with others similarly placed and share ideas,3
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reply05 / 07 / 2012
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