Prospects of women entrepreneurship: a study of the women entrepreneurs of Kashmir valley

The region of Kashmir has a huge population of unemployed women which consists of a significant number of widows and half widows. Therefore the significance of women's economic sovereignty is even more important for the survival and overall dignity of women in Kashmir. On the other hand, there is a strong linkage between the socio-economic status of women in Kashmir and their entrance into the workforce. The study has been conducted in Kashmir using a self developed structured questionnaire. The sample consisted of 75 women entrepreneurs located in different parts of the valley. The study reveals that in spite of the various impediments to the establishment and development of business in the region, the valley of Kashmir has witnessed a steady growth in women entrepreneurship. The findings highlight various factors that motivate women to become entrepreneurs and underline the role of incentives and subsidies, provided by various government agencies, in promoting the women entrepreneurship. The findings also suggest that women entrepreneurs are not given the opportunities equal to their male counterparts due to the prejudiced socio cultural norms that mostly confine them to their homes. The paper aims to uncover the potential obstacles, both socio-cultural and regulatory, that come in the way of developing an enabling women entrepreneurial culture and brings out the prospects of women entrepreneurship in the infrastructurally fragile region of Kashmir.