Ensure more careers for women to attain desired goal: Experts

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Though women’s contributions to the economy has increased considerably through the years with many becoming entrepreneurs nowadays because of a women-friendly policy, professionals have underscored the necessity for ensuring even more jobs for women to attain the country’s desired goals.

They said women ought to be given more financial facilities to ensure that more women can emerge as business owners because they are extremely wanting to play a significant role in the country’s financial development.

The professionals said Bangladesh will never be in a position to achieve its development goals if the unemployment rate among men and women isn't cut quickly.

Based on the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), around 46 % of graduates remain unemployed in the united states.

The country’s unemployment rate risen to 4.37 % in December 2017 from 4.35 % in 2016. The amount of unemployed people in Bangladesh risen to 2.70 million in 2016 from 2.60 million in 2015, the BBS data showed.

Dr Mohammad Mahfuz Kabir, research director at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), told UNB that women take into account one-third of the country’s total employment. “So, the prevailing women empowerment isn't enough in this overpopulated country to attain double-digit financial growth.”

“More women employment is required to achieve the double-digit financial growth. Only women education isn't enough, they’ll must be employed in other ways. If not, our development goals won’t be performed,” he said.

Dr Mahfuz said small and medium entrepreneurs are actually getting highest Tk 25 lakh each as loan for conducting business but a lot of women are reluctant to be entrepreneurs availing of the opportunity.

He underlined the need for ensuring more financial facilities for women than their male counterparts. “Special packages could be taken for them,” he said.

Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), said the participation of women ought to be increased in the labour market to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

“Bangladesh’s women are making progress in education. However they can’t join the labour market properly for various reasons, including social, family, communication and accommodation ones,” she added.

Fahmida said women must be qualified to ensure that they are able to use technology to sustain in the labour market, emphasising that the federal government should impart training on them.

Hasina Newaaz, vice-president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said although the federal government has taken some women-friendly initiatives, they are not implemented properly.

“The participation of ladies in all spheres of society is very important to attaining the country’s development goals. But women can’t play their due role because of social barriers and disparities. So, those ought to be addressed immediately,” she said.  

SME entrepreneurs said they are facing a huge problem to diversify products for want of skilled women employees furthermore to complexities while taking loans from banks.

Sharmeen Jahan Khan, owner of Naya Craft, said she been running handicraft business for quite some time. But she needs skilled manpower to diversify her products.

“Now, there’s a competitive market both in the home and abroad. Buyers demand new designs and services. But, we’ve to handle a huge challenge to diversify our products for insufficient skilled labourers,” she added.

Sharmeen said there are various women in the united states however they aren't skilled. The federal government should train them up to boost their skills.

Mentioning that capital is very important to owning a business, she lamented that they need to face complexities while taking loans from banks.

Another women entrepreneur and trainer Hasina Mukta told UNB that she started her business with Tk 50,000 a decade ago which is currently a Tk 50 lakh venture.

“I’ve been able to be a business owner. First, my aim was to make money for my family. However now I’m teaching women at different training centres alongside my business to create more women entrepreneurs in the united states. I’ve trained up around 2,000 women entrepreneurs within the last many years,” Hasina said.

Who owns Natunatta Boutiques added that she's been getting involved in the National SME Products Fair going back seven years. “You want to keep significant contributions to attaining the SDGs and Vision 2041 when Bangladesh can be a developed nation.”

Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun at a programme recently said the federal government took many initiatives, including a women-friendly policy, to raise the contributions of women to the country’s economy.

“Some 66 % of the participants of the 8th National SME Products Fair 2020 are women where they’re promoting their products manufactured in Bangladesh both at local and international markets,” he said.

The minister said two-thirds of the 296 SME entrepreneurs taking part in the fair are women fashion designers. “We arranged a seminar titled ‘Participation of women SME entrepreneurs in export trade: Potential and Challenge’ at the fair aswell.”
Source: http://www.theindependentbd.com

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