ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

Abstract

Over the past decade there has been a boom in the business environment with women entrepreneurs evolving in large numbers contributing to the socio-economic development of the society. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (2004) indicates that 15 percent to 35 percent of entrepreneurs are women. Business being the fulcrum of any economy it is the responsibility of the business owners, be it men or women, to weigh the impact of their operations on the society. Entrepreneurship in management is a process of organizing existing resources in marketable products and services. Women business owners who have adopted and executed entrepreneurial activities and processes in their firms can be called women entrepreneurs. Generally entrepreneurship is considered as a domain for men, however, women have pioneered fields like teaching, retail, and health professions for a very long period and women are known for their problem solving strategies to deal with the trending issues, multitasking activities, form teams and successfully develop organizations. Growth of women entrepreneurs is a societal change and this has been happening since the early 21st century. Economic growth have been steady in countries where women have advanced in entrepreneurship, whereas in countries where growth in women entrepreneurship is not so evident the economic growth has been stagnant. Hence, this paper narrates the entrepreneurial opportunities for women in India.