Women Entrepreneurs in Micro Enterprises

Abstract

Women in informal sector has been discussed and emphasized in recent years. It is well recognized in every part of the society that the women's work must be accounted and their household contribution must also be included in the national income accounting. The employment effects of the structural adjustment programmes, which began in a number of developing countries in the seventies and eighties, are now being felt the need for a safety net, which includes employment security, is being reflected in the emphasis on micro enterprises and credit programmes for them. In developed countries also increasing self-employment and informal economic activity are making their presence felt. The industrial recession in these countries contributes to the growth of this phenomenon [Jeemol Unni, 1998]. There are many other reasons that the female work participation is being increasingly recognized in the recent years. However, to empower and provide women with equal access to resources and income generating activities, only small micro enterprises can be an answer. As Sashi Chodhary [1998] held that these may be categorised as [i] those who have or those who can set up units of micro industry either in terms of products or services and [ii] self- employed- majority of them are women, who work on a daily wage or seasonal basis 88 migrants or non-formal workers. Development of interest in women's management of micro enterprises is quite recent.