Constraints on Women Entrepreneurship Development in Kerala: An analysis of familial, social, and psychological dimensions

Abstract

Kerala women while establishing firm foothold in literacy and social status seem yet to identify their role in entrepreneurship. According to Employment Exchange data for 1997, 54 percent of job seekers were educated women. In contrast, 15.4 percent of the total registrants at the Industries Department (1997) were women. Moreover, data collected by the Industries Department through the District Industries Centres (DIC) show that as of 1997 December only 549 women units were functioning successfully out of 6861 women units started in the 12 districts surveyed (Table 1.1).  Targets of Women Industries programme (WIP) and Integrated Rural Development programme (IRDP) have remained unachieved (Industries Dept. 1997). Only a little less than 4 percent of the female population has taken up entrepreneurship as a career in spite of favourable government policies, loan facilities, incentives, and training programmes for women.