Women entrepreneurship and contribution of microcredit : a perspective from Bangladesh

Abstract

In Bangladesh, where poverty, gender inequality, and resource scarcity exist, microcredit helps female entrepreneurs. Microcredit helps rural women overcome societal barriers and prosper. Microcredit's merits and downsides for female entrepreneurs were examined here. They understand how microcredit may improve women's lives, empower them economically, and allow them social freedom to create successful female entrepreneur policies and support systems. Microcredit is commonly employed for economic empowerment, but its long-term impacts on Bangladeshi female entrepreneurs remain unclear. Research that emphasizes microcredit's economic benefits ignores women's socio-cultural barriers. Few studies have studied how microcredit helps women's businesses grow and survive. Gender, microcredit, and company success need further investigation owing to rural women's challenges.

This quantitative study surveyed 80 Grameen Bank, BRAC, and ASA microcredited women entrepreneurs using standardized questions. The survey examineddemographics, sociocultural obstacles, financial independence, and corporate performance. Economic and social empowerment from microcredit was shown by percentages. Microcredit's influence on women's economic autonomy and social mobility was analyzed using Empowerment Theory.

The main objective of this study was to explore how microcredit empowers women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, addressing socio-economic challenges and fostering inclusive development of female financial independence, company development, and social prestige increase with microcredit. Most (53%) of the respondents, with greater family income, said microcredit helped them build their businesses (47%). Rural areas face cultural hurdles, high loan rates, and financial ignorance, the survey concluded. Many women struggled to repay loans due to fluctuating income and poor corporate management. 74% of the respondents said cultural and societal constraints prevent them from using microcredit, limiting their social mobility and entrepreneurial potential.

The findings of this thesis help policymakers, banks, and NGOs improve microcredit programs. Business training, financial literacy initiatives, and specialist mentoring may help women entrepreneurs. Women need gender-sensitive policies to break traditions. The findings show that women-led enterprises with irregular incomes need flexible loan payback dates. Optimizing these characteristics may empower Bangladeshi women and boost business.