The booming development of e-commerce will usher in a new era of employment for women in Bangladesh. Online-based trading is attracting many people as it gives them easy access to technology and helps them keep up with the busy world.
As the whole world becomes dependent on technology, e-commerce is developing rapidly in Bangladesh. Now everything is online-based and anyone can buy or sell anything on the virtual platform.
In fact, in Bangladesh, online platforms have expanded significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic as the pandemic situation has made people more dependent on online.
E-commerce is becoming popular among people and spreading rapidly in Bangladesh, especially during the coronavirus situation, a groundbreaking change is taking place in this sector.
Online-based businesses have increased the number of women entrepreneurs and enriched the industry.
However, this highly promising sector has been hit hard by the disruption of several major online platforms, including E-Valley.
Now, the government is introducing Unique Business Identification (UBID) to restore discipline in the e-commerce sector as most of the owners of online-based trading organisations registered in the first phase are women.
Women entrepreneurs said they are moving forward alongside their male counterparts and are overcoming many hurdles to become self-reliant through e-commerce, but face challenges as most wholesale markets and shopping points are not yet women-friendly.
They hoped that things would improve in the future.
Anika, one of the owners of an e-commerce website, said she trades in 'Polao Chalu' (Chinigra rice) from Dinajpur.
She is a student of a local government college in Dinajpur and comes from a wealthy family. But she has ambitions to achieve something. Then she started her rice business during the COVID-19 situation. In the first six months, she sold about Tk 2 million worth of rice.
She said it was really great. “My family, especially my father, encourage me to do business. He also visited different rice wholesale markets to buy good quality rice,” she added.
Another successful woman, Rouda, said, “I started my online decorative items business in 2018. Back then, the business was only online. My family helped me a lot. Now I have set up a shop in Mirpur 11. My husband helps me in the shop after work.”
She said many women were starting businesses on virtual platforms, but added that they also faced several challenges, especially in wholesale markets, as most places were not women-friendly.
“I started my business in 2019. Initially, I only sold women's clothes but now I have expanded my business and sell men's items as well,” said Rafia, one of the women entrepreneurs from Chittagong.
She is also a member of “WE”, a Facebook-based online platform for women.
