The widespread use of social media, and ever-increasing users of the same, has paved a way for young women to start small in-house businesses and projects on social media platforms. Technology has been a facilitator of innovation for these women who are taking baby steps for their individual ventures. Being a major source of marketing for these small businesses run by women, social media has helped them in their survival and survival of their initiatives. There now exists women-led and all-women businesses and organizations, which previously used to be quite rare. An impactful percentage of women-led businesses are turning into unicorns. They are taking over.
"An entrepreneur is an agent of change"- this statement has been addressed time and now with proper explanations and figures. It has also been stated many a time that women-led businesses have more chances of flourishing and achieving greatness in a short span of time.
So how exactly are women doing this?
Innovation: At its very onset, entrepreneurship demands innovation. Women, who have been major victims of societal and cultural issues for a long time, incorporate their creative minds to address these issues. This process involves innovation to develop ways to eradicate these issues. Menstrupedia, Make a Difference, and BabyChakra are some such businesses led by women, which are addressing major social issues through their innovations.
Employment: Secondly, women entrepreneurs increase employment opportunities for women. Certain businesses by women demand more woman employees. In the context of textile and handicrafts, there have been women entrepreneurs whose goal was primarily to create ways for a woman's self-employment. Lakhimi Baruah's "Konoklota Mahila Urban Cooperative Bank" for women is one such example of this matter. This bank in Jorhat, Assam, is an all-women-led service that helps women avail easy affordable loans, along with other banking services.
Work Safety: Women's safety has always been a major concern in the work culture. From workplace harassment to violence, the safety of women in the workplace has been proven questionable time and again. A women-led business has the possibility of ensuring this safety to a great extent.
Breaking Barriers: According to Aditi Gupta, co-founder of Menstrupedia, a woman stands up for all other women every time she stands up for herself. This draws attention to the idea that women's entrepreneurship plays a major role in breaking societal barriers that exist in our society. The thinking that women are not meant to be the breadwinner and limited only to housework is ancient now. They have come out, owned their ideas, developed them and inflicted change. They pulled the ball to their court long back.
Leadership: The fact that we use terms like 'women-led' or 'all-women' business shows that we are still standing in the way of normalising women's entrepreneurship. Women entrepreneurs and women in leadership positions have not failed to prove their leadership's worth. Thus, with the rise of women entrepreneurs, the leadership quality of a woman achieves the acceptance it deserves, while inspiring other women to lead initiatives and be the decision-makers.
Improving living standards: Women are aware of the problems that every other woman constantly faces. They are more sensitive to their issues and so make efforts to create working opportunities for them. They make efforts to provide solutions to existing problems. This collective effort to create working opportunities, while trying to help other women better their life, improves the overall living standard of women in society.
Women, as entrepreneurs are making sure they exist as agents of change in society.
Some women-led businesses which have been making major changes:
BabyChakra: Parenting is an issue that a vast majority of people don't even recognize unless they are overwhelmed with the situation themselves. Healthy parenting is a necessity for a child's healthy growth psychologically. Naiyya Saggi, a Harvard business graduate, identified this problem. This came up as her graduate friends were getting married and she noticed that they were unsure and unaware of the parenting process. She also discovered social media groups and Q&A sections that were flooded with information requests for the same. The Harvard graduate thus began BabyChakra, which offers parenting services, maternity and childcare.
Portea Medical: Elderly people are often against the idea of being admitted to a hospital. They like to be taken care of and rest in the comfort of their homes. This is where Portea Medical comes in. Meena Ganesh, along with her husband acquired Portea Medical in the year 2013. Portea Medical facilitates quality healthcare from the comfort of one's home. This, along with being a specialty firm for elderly care also ensures compassionate care for anyone who desires health care from the comfort of their homes.
Sheroes: Ever heard of a women-only social networking site? If not you can check out 'Sheroes'- the only-women social networking site in the country. Sairee Chahal, who started this venture, facilitates providing working opportunities to women. This social networking platform helps women find working opportunities, connections, guidance and resources for their career and mentorship for the same. Women can also converse with other users on the platform for the same matter. Women on the platform also have the option of buying and selling various items.
These four ventures amount to just a tiny fraction of the women entrepreneur ecosystem that is solving pertaining issues in society. They are driven by a strong sense of determination to improve their lives and the lives of many. As this movement moves forward, we will continue to see more innovative ventures and development by women entrepreneurs.
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