DARE - Because Entrepreneurs Do

While Happy Women's Day is trending on Twitter, amidst the din in the Upper House of Indian Parliament there is a Women's Reservation Bill is being tabled to give 33% quota to women in Parliament and assemblies. Both seem to be mere symbolic gestures to salute the fairer sex while the situation on the ground remains unchanged. There is still no light at the end of the tunnel for millions of women in small towns and villages. They work on fields, in factories and homes only to be marginalized and paid much less than their male counterparts.

Just the mere passing of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament will serve no purpose until real empowerment takes place. The Act could become a tool in the hands of corrupt politicians to use women as dummy candidates in elections while the real power rests with them. Similarly, we will twitter today and forget the next day. It will all be back to pulling women down and creating hurdles for them. 

Empowerment lies in entrepreneurship. More women should be encouraged to come up with business ventures, innovative ideas and ways to partner in existing businesses. Starting your own business and successfully running it requires skills such as proper business and financial planning, marketing, communication and understanding customer needs. It for each of us to impart theses skills to marginalized women to help them look positively at opportunities of self-employment. 

Another point to be considered is funding. Some banks have worked out some special schemes to encourage women in entrepreneurship but still it is difficult to avail of these loans. Lack of awareness is a big problem. DARE did a story on why loans for women entrepreneurs are not taking off.