Green Growth Through Micro-Entrepreneurship: Empowering Women for Sustainable Development in West Bengal

Abstract

Women's entrepreneurship and empowerment play a vital role in enhancing their decision-making abilities, access to information, resource control and economic strength. This study explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and women's empowerment, focusing on West Bengal, India. Primary data were collected from three districts of West Bengal, specifically Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, and Purulia, targeting women as the sample population. Women's empowerment was assessed based on five dimensions, including 20 indicators. Further, a multidimensional women's disempowerment index (MWDI) was also formulated, considering the Alkire Foster methodology to capture its multidimensional aspect. The results show that the majority of the entrepreneurial activities undertaken by the women microentrepreneurs were environmentally friendly. Among the considered indicators of women's empowerment, the percentage share of women who had the freedom to visit markets, health facilities, and banks was the highest, whereas the percentage share of women who had the ability to protest was the least. Further, the percentage share of empowered women was significantly higher among the microentrepreneurs as compared to those who were non-entrepreneurs. As regards the determinants of women's empowerment, education, employment, asset ownership, and entrepreneurship play a crucial role in increasing women's empowerment. However, 30% of the women entrepreneurs faced challenges in running their businesses, whereas financial constraints along with marketing and selling issues, competition from rivals, and regulatory issues turned out to be the major hurdles. To conclude, entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in empowering women by encouraging them to establish micro-enterprises and by helping foster green growth, leading to sustainable development.

Citation

Firdaush, S., Baidya, S., Bera, U. and Kumbhakar, S. (2024), "Green Growth Through Micro-Entrepreneurship: Empowering Women for Sustainable Development in West Bengal", Pal, M.K. and Das, P. (Ed.) Informal Manufacturing and Environmental Sustainability, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 265-278. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-998-620241019