Empowerment trough Enterprise: Drivers and Enablers of Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Odisha

Abstract

Rural women play a critical role in the development of the local economy of a country, yet they face various barriers in performing proactive responsibilities in general and in becoming entrepreneurs in particular. Rural women encounter multiple problems in starting and sustaining a business in the form of socio-cultural, institutional, and infrastructural barriers. The limitations faced by women in starting an enterprise differ from those of their male counterparts, and the characteristics of rural areas also act as important obstacles to the growth of women entrepreneurs. Despite these limitations, rural women entrepreneurs contribute significantly to the growth process.

The present study attempts to analyze the impact of financial support, training programs, and social support on the success of rural women entrepreneurs. The study is based on primary data collected from rural women entrepreneurs through a multi-stage random sampling technique, and it uses various statistical tools to analyze the results. The findings reveal that financial access, training programs, and social support affect the success of women entrepreneurs to different degrees.