Page 83 - Siduliya

SEVA VANITHA 83

women have to face a greater range of problems home and older dependent family members,
associated with entrepreneurship than men, and few women can devote all their time and
these problems can be doubled because of their energies to their business (García and Welter
dual roles as entrepreneur and homemaker. Not 2011).In this setting, inherited customs and
only do women have a lower participation rate social norms create pressures by reinforcing
in entrepreneurship than men, but they also gender stereotypes, thus constituting one of the
generally choose to start and manage firms in main constraints for female employment and
different industries than men tend to do (Brush entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka. As women need
1992). to balance business or employment with the
demands of family and household care, they
While Sri Lankan women have made have to pursue economic activities that offer less
considerable gains in education, this has not career opportunities, are less innovative and
yet translated into full access to employment or typically confined to traditional roles.
entrepreneurship. Statistics shows that women’s
participation for entrepreneurial activities in the As entrepreneurship is considered to be a
Sri Lanka could be further strengthened, with major source of economic growth, employment,
greater access for women to supporting services. poverty alleviation, regional development and
As women entering the labour market in Sri innovation, women are a readily available
Lanka are still disadvantaged in finding quality resource that countries like Sri Lanka at different
paid employment, they must often look to other stages of economic development may use to
sources of income, notably self-employment. accomplish economic progress (UNDP 2018).
Where women operate their own businesses, Historically, most Asian societies have been
these tend to be in the most disadvantaged patriarchal, with the woman considered as a
sectors, predominantly in agriculture, tourism, secondary person. Gender equality is vital to
handicraft, garment even those specializing in economic and human development in a country.
industry or services tend to concentrate on a Removing gender inequalities gives societies a
limited number of activities, such as catering, better chance to develop Therefore, encouraging
tailoring, beauty and food processing. Women women to become involved in entrepreneurial
owned businesses often lag behind male-owned activities may lead to economic prosperity and
enterprises in terms of size, productivity, and improve their standards of living.
tend to be less profitable, with little potential for
further expansion and women businesses have More can be done to address the full
a high failure rate. They are also less strong to range of barriers to the sustainability and growth
the impact of adverse economic shocks of women business undertakings, including
through stronger policy dialogue at the regional
In most Asian countries such as Sri and national level to share experiences and
Lanka, women are viewed as weak, passive, disseminate good practices. Targeted policies
obedient or submissive. Furthermore, dominant are also necessary to drive further progress
religious beliefs and traditions do not favour on women’s entrepreneurship at the national
women being involved in outside activities (Ram and regional levels. Governments and other
and Seela 2010). In some cases, society has supporting organizations should help women-
stereotyped them as being a weakness in a man owned and women-led enterprises get better
‘s life, should his wife be working or involved in access to markets. This can be done through
business. When women are involved in business enhanced gender mainstreaming of public
activities, they have to deal with many people, procurement policies, export promotion activities,
and sometimes travel away from their homes and supply chain initiatives, and efforts to
and participate in business gatherings such improve the product quality and innovativeness
as cocktail parties. Such activities are not well of women-owned enterprises, greater access
accepted by Asian societies (UNESCAP 2005, to finance sources, business support services
Ram and Seela 2010, Surangi 2010, Surangi (through greater gender-responsiveness of
2018). Sri Lankan society is still patriarchal; business support providing organizations, and
Sri Lankan women are traditionally considered development of women-targeted enterprise
homemakers and not business people. Women's centers, incubators, entrepreneurship
family obligations also bar them from becoming management training and mentoring initiatives)
successful entrepreneurs in both developed and as well as the integration of ICT tools in their
developing nations (García and Welter 2011). business operations.
Having primary responsibility for children, the