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AFRICAN ECONOMIC CONFERENCE 2009 Addis Ababa; NOV 11-13, 2009 African Development Bank – UNECA. Rural Entrepreneurship for Women: A Case for Wealth Creation by Africa’s Rural Poor amidst Global Financial and Economic Crises. Dr Baharul Islam Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
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AFRICAN ECONOMIC CONFERENCE 2009 Addis Ababa; NOV 11-13, 2009 African Development Bank – UNECA Rural Entrepreneurship for Women: A Case for Wealth Creation by Africa’s Rural Poor amidst Global Financial and Economic Crises Dr Baharul Islam Chairman & Chief Executive Officer SOUTH ASIA DEVELOPMENT GATEWAY Washington DC / Bangkok / Guwahati (India)
Outline • Background • Position of Women • Major challenges • Successful Women Ventures • Success Stories • Strategic challenges and opportunities • Conclusion
Background • Emphasis on rural small/medium size businesses • Growth of women entrepreneurs – not uniform or nonlinear in this emerging global scenario. • Several exemplary cases around the world • IT based commercial enterprises for women • Strategic challenges and opportunities from a gender focus
Position of Women • The general impression about the women entrepreneurs across the world is changing • Women-owned firms in the MENA region • General barriers • Financial capital requirements and cumbersome bureaucratic and legal procedures • Women's entrepreneurship could help the in creating more and better jobs. ICTES 2004 Addis Ababa
Major challenges • Women entrepreneurs - family income for survival. • Balancing time share between work and family • Access to start-up capital • Access to export market without intermediaries • Cases of Uganda and Kenya • Challenges remain in four key areas: Access to finance/capital, technical and commercial support, capacity building, global marketing
Successful Women Ventures • Women in Africa using ICT to empower themselves • New focus on service sector. • Success Story # 1 : Taiwan • SUCCESS STORY # 2: Grameen Phone • SUCCESS STORY # 3 : Rodwel Foundation, Zimbabwe • SUCCESS STORY # 4 : Pandora Box, Mozambique • SUCCESS STORY # 5 : Technoworld, India • SUCCESS STORY # 6 : Divine Computers, India • SUCCESS STORY # 7 : e-Business and e-Commerce
Strategic challenges and opportunities • Global economic recession and the reported millions of job losses in the developed countries • Financial backup support for the families • Women’s empowerment thrust in Business : Educational and work background • Psychological characteristics, motivation, perception • management practices, external networking • Management training in micro enterprises • Organized business support services
CONCLUSIONS • African rural market - unique opportunities • Trades started at village levels • Education/training, organized small business groups • Importance of marketing • “Micro-banking" • Entrepreneurs as job creators • Plan the African Women Entrepreneurs on training and capacity building programmes.
Thank you ! Email: drbahar@gmail.com Tel: +91 98599 14100 Visit us at: www.developmentgateway.org