E-commerce offers huge business opportunities for women in Bangladesh
Dhaka, 29 July 2024 (BSS) – E-commerce creates tremendous business opportunities for women as it allows them to do business 24/7. The growth of e-commerce helps women entrepreneurs generate new ideas and work from home. There has been a tremendous growth of women entrepreneurs in the e-commerce sector.
E-commerce has a huge impact on business and productivity. It creates huge potential for economic development. Electronic commerce (Electronic commerce) is a big hit in today's market. E-commerce is the abbreviation for electronic commerce.
E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. E-commerce is the term used to describe the transition from regular markets to digital markets.
The world has now become technology-based and everything is online. Anyone can buy or sell things or get services from online platforms.
During the COVID-19 situation, online platforms have been further strengthened, as most people nowadays have become dependent on them.
E-commerce is also expanding rapidly in Bangladesh. Especially during COVID-19, the number of women entrepreneurs in this sector has also increased, resulting in revolutionary changes in this sector.
However, the collapse of some major online platforms, including Evaly, has sent a major shock wave through the sector. The government has introduced Unique Business Identification (UBID) to bring discipline to the sector, and most of the online platform owners are women entrepreneurs who received registration in the first phase.
Women entrepreneurs said that women are making progress apart from men and many have become independent through e-commerce, but they face some challenges as most of the wholesale markets are not women-friendly as of now. They are hopeful that the situation will improve in the coming days.
Entrepreneur Musfera Jahan, Managing Director of Mom Fanush and Chairman of Gerosto Bari, has two online platforms that were registered in the first phase.
Jahan said “Mom Fanush” sells boutique items, hand paintings, blocks and handmade products, while “Gerosto Bari” offers ready-made spices.
She said, “I started my online business in 2017. Initially, it was only online and I had the support of my family. Now I work offline as well as online.”
“E-commerce is booming as people have become dependent on online platforms. People prefer online platforms for buying and selling. Moreover, most of the women are working and do not have enough time to go to markets for shopping,” Jahan said.
On the issue of women entrepreneurs, she said women face many problems.
“Though our business is mainly online, sourcing has to be done offline. I started my business with clothing and now I have created a separate platform for spices. I have to bring my own clothing and for that I have to visit different parts of the country. As a woman, I have felt insecure many times. So, I need to take help from others.”
Another female entrepreneur, Farah Diba, is the owner of “nithanbd”, which deals in men's and women's dresses including punjabi, baby dresses and fashion accessories.
She said most women entrepreneurs have the same experience. It is really hard to start your own business. Many women started their online businesses in their middle age. But now, many female students are starting their own online businesses.
Diba said e-commerce is now becoming an industry and is the call of the times. “I started my business in 2018 and in 2019 I was fully involved in the market,” she said.
