Engaging and promoting young women’s entrepreneurship: A challenge to social work

Development is complete only with genuine acknowledgment of the roles of women as well as their active engagement in all forums – political, economic, and social forums – in life. Providing a conducive environment for women has been a developmental debate in India for many decades now. Yet India’s progress and performance on women’s empowerment and gender mainstreaming leave much to be desired by global standards. Women who venture into business or entrepreneurial activities seek active support – spousal and familial – right from the beginning stage of the venture. However, experience seems to suggest that such perceived support systems turn around and in themselves present social impediments to the healthy development of women-lead enterprises. This article is a case study that attempts to portray the travails of a group of young women who attempted to launch an enterprise in a rurban setting. This article describes the social challenges posed to the Unarvu Self-Help Group, in the Trivandrum district of Kerala, and their resilience in overcoming these impediments. This article is a reflection of the experience undergone by many women, and also showcases the resilience generated by self-motivated women venturing as entrepreneurs in the wake of resistance and impediments. The article is a qualitative portrayal of experiences of a social worker trainee in dealing with the issues hindering women entrepreneurship. This also opens up new avenues for professional social work engagement.