Like wheels supporting a car from both sides, men and women play equal role in promoting their country’s economy. According to World Economic Forum’s (WEF) report, countries having a balanced ratio of men and women in rights enjoy more prosperity and are far more competent than the nations where male is considered ‘superior gender’. Such countries have a big gender difference as women face lack of higher education and adequate business opportunities.

Though it would seem that Sri Lanka has a better and a balanced gender role-play, there are regions where women suffer from patriarchy system, lack of education and opportunities for self-sufficiency. Women in urban societies have found better access to business in this ideal time, but rural and sub-urban women still stare at basic issues.

 

Women having access to means understand that it is indeed a high time to seriously consider business. Even rural women, when provided with basic awareness and a few thousand Sri Lankan rupees can initiate their own business as the literacy rate in women is somewhat satisfactory (around 97-99 percent of women aging 15-24 are literate).

 

Sighting this inherent potential, agencies and Non-governmental organizations have increased their efforts to provide Sri Lankan women with adequate means so they can heighten their lifestyle and benefit their motherland’s economy as well. Chamber of commerce is an example of a body working to encourage entrepreneurship through development programmes. Another example is charity under the trust of Prince of Wales.

But perhaps the best example for women entrepreneurship development programmes in Sri Lanka is USAID – the agency determined to bring women to an equal footing with men. USAID has been keen in its vision coming up with different programmes to encourage women in business.

 

The conflict lasting three decades resulted in 2,000 households where women were the bread providers. USAID’s target was to provide livelihood opportunities to resettled 12,000 families and to successfully reintegrate Tamil and Muslim groups. 10 groups of women were given business management and networking training, nine of which submitted their business plans. USAID funded three of them initially.

The reintegrated groups embarked on dry fish production & sales, food processing and grinding forever changing the lives of 345 Tamil and Muslim women. The organization is also active in providing other entrepreneurial opportunities to Sri Lanka’s talented women.

 

One of USAID’s women entrepreneurship development programmes include the one in Hambantota, which was funded through Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton’s office and focused on removing challenges to women in the way of their business and bright future.

 

USAID’s ultimate aim is to see prosperity of women and a happier Sri Lanka as a result. This has led to collaborations between USAID, US Embassy and local partners to support economic and social conditions of women.

 

Never minding the business; means to sell the product or service to the buyer is as important as the product or service itself. The best Sri Lankan coconuts are not good unless selling woman gets a potential buyer for it that is willing to pay reasonable amount for them. Another achievement of USAID is the provision of a universal platform for women in the form of WIT.

 

WIT (Women in Trade) is a project of USAID which is keen on providing women with opportunities to take their business to a global scale. WIT’s portal over the internet allows women to engage in online trading with other women on far side of the nation or the globe. Any woman with access to internet, regardless of her socio-economy class can just log onto website, sign up and become a buyer or seller with the world being her marketplace.

 

 

Another golden opportunity for deserving female entrepreneurs is social franchising. Social franchise encircles social benefit. With more women opting for social franchising as their line of career, they are engaging in profitable self-employment and contributing heftily to the women education, awareness, healthcare, and Sri Lankan women empowerment programmes by replicating the training and the use of brand name.

 

USAID also provided more than $3 million to vulnerable population, so women can provide sustenance and increase the standard by utilizing the micro-financing. Training and marketing assistance are also part of this scheme that strengthens micro-businesswomen’s chances of contacting leaders of the market.

 

Initiatives of organizations, USAID in particular, aim to educate and empower Sri Lankan women, so they can join fellow Sri Lankan businesswomen like Otara Gunewardene and Ranee Ratnayke in the race of successful entrepreneurs.