Desk Report,
Why are women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh lagging behind?
A news report that women entrepreneurs around the world are doing well was recently published in Prothom Alo. It cited statistics and said that many women are now becoming rich on their own initiative. They are not just becoming rich by inheriting their husbands or fathers’ wealth. There is no doubt that the news is good for women’s empowerment; but we also have to take into consideration why women in Bangladesh are still lagging behind.
Why are women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh lagging behind?
The Prothom Alo news report said that according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), there are now more than 650 million women entrepreneurs in different countries of the world. A large portion of them own some kind of company. On the other hand, the total number of male entrepreneurs is about 770 million. Proportionally, the number of female entrepreneurs is not less than that of men. The fact that this number has increased in recent times is understandable. Because, two-thirds of female entrepreneurs are in the very early stages of their journey.
On the other hand, the number of female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh is very low. According to the 2024 Economic Survey, there are 11.8 million small and medium entrepreneurs in the country. Among them, the number of female entrepreneurs is less than 6.5 percent. However, the good news is that the number of women entrepreneurs is increasing day by day. According to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Foundation, 60 percent of the new entrepreneurs created in recent years are women.
A news report that women entrepreneurs around the world are doing well was recently published in Prothom Alo. It cited statistics and said that many women are now becoming rich on their own initiative. They are not just becoming rich by inheriting their husbands or fathers’ wealth. There is no doubt that the news is good for women’s empowerment; but we also have to take into consideration why women in Bangladesh are still lagging behind.
The Prothom Alo news report said that according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), there are now more than 650 million women entrepreneurs in different countries of the world. A large portion of them own some kind of company. On the other hand, the total number of male entrepreneurs is about 770 million. Proportionally, the number of female entrepreneurs is not less than that of men. The fact that this number has increased in recent times is understandable. Because, two-thirds of female entrepreneurs are in the very early stages of their journey.
On the other hand, the number of female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh is very low. According to the 2024 Economic Survey, there are 11.8 million small and medium entrepreneurs in the country. Among them, the number of female entrepreneurs is less than 6.5 percent. However, the good news is that the number of women entrepreneurs is increasing day by day. According to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Foundation, 60 percent of the new entrepreneurs created in recent years are women.
