Role of Women Entrepreneurs Association of Tamil Nadu [WEAT] in Promoting Women Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is a major factor which contributes for the industrial development and over all development of a nation. However, it has been the domain of men for a long. With the advent of change in the policies and programmes of the government since 1950s and later in 1990s and the commitment of India in the International Mandates to empower women including achieving Millennium Development Goals [MDG] which includes achieving gender equality. However there are certain areas in which women are not able to come as expected. Entrepreneurship and Management are those areas in which women from the business background and elite are able to come in certain percentage but it is very miniscule. Women in the middle and lower income group do engage in micro entrepreneurial activities but largely service industries, part time, self employed nature confining increasingly on feminine or female friendly trades such as tailoring, beauty clinics, ready made garments, fancty stores, etc. Very few are found in ITES including computer and browsing centres, Xerox Centres and STD Booths, travels etc.[Manimekalai. N. 2001]. In rural areas again women were found in agri based businesses but due to failure of such activities due to technological development and also improved methods of production, women choose to non-agri based activities like nursery raising, coir industries, bakeries, vegetable vending, food based activities, etc. The Self help group women have not fully succeeded in starting micro enterprises. Micro credit has helped them to meet their consumption loan needs and except a small percentage, the SHG women could not start their micro entrepreneurial activities in Tamil Nadu. [Manimekalai N. 2003]. This is true in other parts of India also. With the findings of these two studies conducted in Tamil Nadu, it was understood that women entrepreneurs who have equal enthusiasm and interest to become entrepreneurs could not become successful entrepreneurs due to absence any guidance and lack of awareness to approach respective organisations for help. There was no association to collectively represent their issues. There was no data base on women entrepreneurs though it was identified that there were 550 women running different micro entrepreneurial activities [Manimekalai, N. 2001]. Similarly impact of micro financing on women also indicated that [Manimekalai 2003] women used micro credit to meet the small loans but they failed to move beyond to use the micro credit to invest in income generating, productive activities. Those who succeeded in starting micro enterprises failed to market their products successfully. Realising from the findings of the above studies, it was attempted to promote and encourage women to become entrepreneurs both in the rural and urban areas, and to promote SHG group of women to entrepreneurial status by facilitating marketing for their products. It was also attempted to help the aspiring women entrepreneurs to start enterprises, through training on the interested areas, link them with banks for credit and also support in marketing their products and services. In order to do this, Centre for Women's Studies, Bharathidasan University has helped to start as Association called Women Entrepreneurs Association of Tamil Nadu [WEAT]in 2005 March. With its committed efforts and co-operation of the office bearers, networking with the industrial organisations, government departments, District Administration, NGOs, Public Sector Enterprises, Technical Training Institutes, Educational Institutions, Industrialists, individual entrepreneurs, colleges etc, WEAT has succeeded in producing more than 100 women entrepreneurs within a short period of two years with the continuous training and motivational programmes both in traditional and non-traditional areas. Now it has reached a status wherein the State government and Central Government Departments are approached to have their training including NABARD, DICs, Banks, NRDC etc. This paper will be briefly presenting the nature of intervention and the kind of women entrepreneurs and its growth and achievements in a two years period by WEAT.