Women entrepreneurs break barriers in patriarchal Kashmir

Srinagar: Young females in Kashmir are breaking barriers and treading the path of business which otherwise would be a male domain only.

Traditionally, the womenfolk did not own or operate businesses on their own in Kashmir. But now, that is changing. Not only in urban areas, but in rural Kashmir also a number of women with the help of the government have started their own business ventures while pushing-up the patriarchy and standing up on their own feet.

Farzana Gulzar, an associate professor at University of Kashmir’s Management Studies says women across the valley are showing interest in becoming economically independent and coming up with their own unique ideas of becoming entrepreneurs.

“The women in business trend is on the incline in Kashmir. For centuries, women have battled a stereotype that involves staying home to cook, clean and care for the family. However, a new generation of young female entrepreneurs are overcoming all the challenges,” she told DH.

Gulzar advocated for bringing more women into the workplace to create an opportunity to prioritize diversity and encourage male and female collaboration. “In turn, this diversity allows decision-making to become more multidimensional and thus more comprehensive,” she added.

On June 29, 2021, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the priority of the government is to reduce the gap between women and men entrepreneurs, in a systematic manner. And it has started achieving desired results more than two years down the line.

Mahmoona Akthar, an entrepreneur from central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district takes care of her family of six, including four children and her parents. In 2020, she lost her husband, a driver by profession in an accident, shattering the entire family.

However, she decided to start a small unit of mushroom with the financial assistance of Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM). Akhtar says she is earning a good amount of money every month. Not only does she harvest four quintals of mushrooms every year, but also provides jobs to other women in her village.

The success story of two young women Huzaifa Bazaz and Arifa Jan, is motivating educated females to venture into entrepreneurship. Bazaz, an MBA graduate, started an online shopping portal with her other friends.

The online store is aimed to cater to the shopping needs of youngsters and since the start-up of this business, the store has witnessed a lot of love and support from people, especially youngsters.

From handicrafts to hospitality, horticulture and agriculture, women in Kashmir have set up their units which are registering a massive growth in terms of returns. 

As per the figures, under Prime Minister’s Employment Guarantee Programme (PMEGP) 14,943 projects have been set up by women in the last three years.

Official figures reveal that 8,520 and 3,235 projects were set up by women in 2021-22 and 2020-21 respectively, which employed 68,160 and 25,880 youth, respectively.