A research in 2012 by World Economic Forum recognized women entrepreneurs as “the way forward.” Despite extensive research and support for women entrepreneurs and leaders, women are still struggling to find their place in economic life. Concerning the developing world, women’s businesses are not managed well; they tend to be less profitable and end up shutting down. Women entrepreneurs are indeed present in fewer numbers, and most of them do not pursue their business based on multiple reasons.
Multiple studies are published in scholarly journals about women empowerment. So let’s discuss what empowerment is for women? Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and confident, along with instilling the feeling of self-fulfillment within. Empowered women know about themselves; they become aware of where they are going, what their position and status; existence and their rights, are in the society.
Why don’t women excel as much as men?
Have you ever wondered why women are not able to pursue their businesses or jobs? Or why they do not realize their strength? The problem is multidimensional. Women lose the race with men because of economic and societal reasons. The magnitude of the problem is intense, based on the pressure they withstand living in society. Before they come into the professional world, they consider their family, culture, norms and other aspects; all of these impact the way women choose to act.
However, there are also thousands of women out there conquering the world, and various organizations are promoting their dreams. In Pakistan, 66% of the labor is women, but they earn only 10% of the total wages. We see organizations such as Kashf Foundation, Aurat Foundation, Shirkat Gah and Seed Out are promoting women’s rights and women-led businesses.
Seed Out Empowering Women
Let’s discuss how a non-profit organization, Seed Out, focuses on the economic empowerment of women.
Seed Out identifies that by extending employment, creating sustainable income generation methods, and promoting economic opportunities for women. These are some of the most effective ways to alleviate poverty and help with women empowerment. Seed Out is aimed at enhancing the ability, mobility, visibility, and connectivity of women entrepreneurs. Seed Out’s strategy focuses on providing business opportunities for women in the traditionally male-dominated sectors of the economy.
Seed Out continues to promote women entrepreneurs in business. The organization has set up general stores, garments business, and beauty parlors for over 200 women micro-entrepreneurs. Not only this, Seed Out has prioritized and extended its support towards divorced, widowed, disabled women along with acid attack victims. Seed Out continues to provide training workshops for capacity building and skills development for women to polish and enhance their skills. Seed Out believes that if women are empowered, the society benefits as a whole turning Pakistan into a thriving and prosperous nation.
