E-commerce becomes a tool for empowering women in Bangladesh

Uninterrupted high-speed internet, the affordability of digital gadgets, and the growth of e-commerce served as powerful instruments for empowering the nation's women to become independent business owners.

Kakoli Khan, Chomna Chowdhury, and Shegufta Chowdhury are not only the names of three ladies; rather, they made names for themselves by using various digital facilities made available by the current administration.

When the Corona virus epidemic hit, Kakoli Khan, who had her master's degree in philosophy from Jagannath University, lost her position as an employee at Atish Dipankar University. She was then compelled to return to their home hamlet of Baghmara in the Chunurghat upazila of the Hobiganj district with her two children and husband.

Lacking any other option, she created an internet store offering tea, mustard oil, green tea, carpet, nakshikantha, Monipuri sarees, shawls, and scarves on a platform called "Women and E-Commerce Trust (WE)."

"When I lost my job, I did all I could to take action... Kakoli recently told BSS her tale of being an entrepreneur. "I was seeking for opportunity. Then, I found an e-commerce platform to create my own business name "Tong Showari," she said.

Kakoli said that although the initial consumer reaction was subpar, she didn't give up.

She recalled those times with a smile, "At one point, I started getting tremendous reactions from clients as I was giving great things.

She not only sells her products all throughout the nation but also exports them to 10 to 12 other nations, including the US, UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Greece.

Kakoli is currently making between 70,000 and 80,000 Taka each month, which is more than she was previously making from her terminated employment.

Due to the presence of reliable internet connections in outlying locations, she was able to launch an online company.

Dina Khan, her younger sister, also launched an internet company after being motivated by Kakoli Khan's success.

Dina is currently making Tk 40,000–50,000 per month selling nakhshikantha, shittolpati, and sareer through her web store, "Naiori."

Women have several difficulties while conducting business, particularly when opening a storefront in a public place. However, thanks to the internet, women may now simply build a website utilising a variety of online platforms and launch their own ventures, according to Dina.

Chomna Chowdhury, a different pandemic sufferer who lost her job as a school teacher during the statewide curfew brought on by the corona virus, also found success in the realm of e-commerce.

Chomna, a resident of the Baby Stand neighbourhood of the Hobiganj district who sells customised sarees and garments through her internet page entitled "Suchi Ghar," claimed that she was making more money as an entrepreneur in online commerce than she was teaching.

She applauded the initiatives of several government agencies, including the Department of Youth Development and the Department of Women Affairs, both of which are providing assistance to empower women.

With the help of the government, "we could make ourselves successful entrepreneurs," she remarked.

Online shoppers are already familiar with Oishee, another page owned by a woman businesswoman by the name of Shegufta Chowdhury, for its offerings of Laligur, date juice, and home-made meals.

She said that her internet store generates at least Tk 1 lakh in revenue. "At first, I had to overcome a lot of obstacles...However, clients are increasingly demonstrating their confidence in my high-quality goods, according to Chowdhury, a resident of Hobiganj's PTI neighbourhood who makes at least Taka one lakh every month from her page Oishee.

Hundreds more women in the Hobiganj district launched internet shops selling local goods, following in the footsteps of Kakoli Khan, Chomna Chowdhury, and Shegufta Chowdhury.

"At first, I had to overcome several difficulties...Customers are already demonstrating their confidence in my high-quality items, though, according to Chowdhury, a Hobiganj resident who lives in the PTI neighbourhood and makes at least Taka one lakh each month from her page Oishee.

In the Hobiganj district, hundreds of women launched internet shops selling local goods, following in the footsteps of Kakoli Khan, Chomna Chowdhury, and Shegufta Chowdhury.

In addition to them, Women and e-Commerce Trust (WE) also made a big contribution to the success, she said.

According to Nasima Akter Nisha, President of Women and e-Commerce Trust (WE), the platform is used by 10 lakh businesses in total.

She said that women in rural sections of the nation are now exporting their goods to a variety of nations and that the platform not only helped to develop women entrepreneurs but also boosted the national economy.

Israt Jahan, the deputy commissioner of Hobiganj, stated that the platform "We" supports female entrepreneurs by offering a variety of programmes.

The DC stated that many government agencies, including the Department of Women Affairs and the Department of Youth Development, were also providing training to women of all ages so they could manage their internet businesses.

According to Israt, the country's women are able to forge their own paths thanks to the present administration's gender-friendly policies. She said, "But one thing every woman has to remember is that she must have bravery to start her own business.