Women Empowerment through Self Employment in Dairying Activities: Motivating Factors and Constraints

Motivation in general is an important determinant of entrepreneurial growth through self employment. Motivators related to initiation, growth and development of enterprise run by rural women can be categorized as work, social, personal and economic core. Pertaining to work core, “to get complete satisfaction of being productive member of family” was found the as the major motivating factor. The analysis pertaining to social core revealed that “Want to be an economically independent person” emerged as first motive that accelerated women for self employment. Among individual core motives, it was found that women started their enterprise because they wanted to utilize their available time” followed by “Want to provide comfortable life to family members”. Want to save for marriage of children and for education of the children were found to be the main economic core motives for starting their own enterprise by rural women entrepreneurs. The self motivation has always been a dominating source because women even in ordinary families have started feeling an increased financial burden, great awareness towards their potentialities, standard of living and better education of their children etc. Most of the respondents were morally boosted by their spouses. Relatives and friend also played a significant role in encouraging them morally. Lack of knowledge about agencies/institutions working for women entrepreneurs was reported to be the major constraint by all the women entrepreneurs. Lack of information about governmental schemes for women entrepreneurs and lack of knowledge regarding machinery and equipment to be used in dairying were the major financial and resource constraints. Lack of social contacts, multiple responsibilities, and male dominance were the major socio – psychological constraints. The major technical constraint reported by all the women entrepreneurs was lack of technical know how.