April 18: The participants of an interaction program under the 'Standard Chartered NewBiz Business Summit and Awards 2022' held in Birgunj on Sunday stated that promotion of women entrepreneurship is necessary to uplift the economy. The award function is to be held in Kathmandu on Friday, April 22. 

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Customs Officer of Birgunj Customs Harihar Poudel said that financial literacy and innovation should be emphasised for the promotion of women entrepreneurship. Stating that the finished product of one enterprise can be the raw material of another, Poudel said that innovation would widen the scope of entrepreneurship. 

Poudel stressed on the need for effective policy and its implementation to involve more women in the enterprise and to uplift those who are already active in the enterprise. 

"Skill development training is not enough for women. We have to see whether the learned skills are used or not," he said. Madan Lamsal, president and editor-in-chief of New Business Age Pvt Ltd, said the country would not prosper unless women are empowered.

He stated that the award and recognition programme is being organised to encourage women towards entrepreneurship. “The private sector should lead the economic development,” said Lamsal. 

Reema Shah, chief of the Cottage and Small Industries Office, Parsa, said that women in rural areas have not been able to move towards entrepreneurship. She urged the inclusion of women from rural areas in the women entrepreneurship promotion programme. She also said that there is low participation of women from rural areas in skill-based training. 

Rajan Dev Bhattarai, director of Nepal Rastra Bank Regional Office, Birgunj, claimed that women entrepreneurs still lack financial literacy. Director Bhattarai said that despite the government budget being spent in the name of making women self-employed and to involve them in entrepreneurship, the expected outcome has not been observed. 

Stating that women entrepreneurs have complained of not being able to get concessional loans easily, Bhattarai said that the loan without any collateral should be disbursed to them through projects. 

President of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr Subodh Kumar Gupta claimed that only 10 percent women were entrepreneurs and argued that men were also to blame for the failure of women. He said that men should help in promoting women entrepreneurship. He claimed that women are more honest than men in any profession and business. 

Participants of the interactive training held in the run-up to the award program, sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank and co-sponsored Muktinath Development Bank, complained that the results of entrepreneurship is not seen due to the problems such as lack of marketing, access to technology and credit.