On February 4, CIPE partner the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) hosted a roundtable in Dhaka on ‘Financing for Women Entrepreneurs’. As a result of its advocacy work over the past year, BWCCI succeeded in bringing the governor of Bangladesh Bank to the roundtable as chief guest. More than 175 members of the media, banking sector, and women’s business community attended the event. Debate was the order of the day. Many women entrepreneurs told stories describing the unfair treatment of women in the business community. One women entrepreneur who has very sound business was refused a loan, as her husband has defaulted in the past. Some women told of not earning preshipment credit on exports and imports as required by law, whereas spouses and male relatives can earn credit for the same shipments if the paperwork is completed in his name instead of hers. Main policy recommendations made by participants included lower interest rates on loans to women and creating gender-neutral loan policies and environments throughout Bangladesh’s banking sector.
Over the past 25 years, since the founding of the revolutionary Grameen Bank, women in Bangladesh have been encouraged to step forward and move into the business community. Slowly, the barriers to entry are being whittled away. BWCCI’s work with banks across Bangladesh is starting to pay off in lower interest rates for women entrepreneurs, the development of women-friendly policies, and the separation of a woman’s business from her husband’s. In rural areas, BWCCI is helping women’s voices to reach the right ears and advocating for a level playing field. Keep an eye out in the future – women in Bangladesh are making strides towards forming a vibrant sector of the business community and achieving true equality in a predominantly Muslim society.
Published Date: February 08, 2007