GUWAHATI, March 10 - MSME-Development Institute, Govt of India, Guwahati, in association with the Small Industries Development Bank of India and Laghu Udyog Bharati jointly organized a national seminar on �Market Access Initiatives for Export for NER Women Entrepreneurs-cum-Women Entrepreneurs� Conclave-2018� on the occasion of International Women�s Day at Assam Administrative Staff College on Thursday.
In keeping with the International Women�s Day�s essence, the seminar aimed at encouraging the North-east women entrepreneurs for creating a favourable environment for women empowerment.
Around 350 women entrepreneurs from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur attended the conclave.
The seminar was inaugurated by Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi.
In his welcome address, Sreeni-vasulu, Director, MSME-DI, Guwahati, highlighted various marketing access initiatives for export schemes made for women entrepreneurs and he urged them to reap the maximum benefits from those schemes.
In his keynote address, Piyush Srivastava, IES, Addl Development Commissioner (MSME), New Delhi, emphasized on contributing maximum towards the growth of women entrepreneurs in the north-eastern region.
Angoorlata Deka, Member of Assam Legislative Assembly, attended the occasion as guest of honour.
Ravi Capoor, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Govt of Assam also applauded the women entrepreneurs of the region.
Prof Jagdish Mukhi, in his address, said that women empowerment itself speaks that social rights, political rights, economic stability, etc., and all other rights should be equally accessible to women.
�There should be no discrimination between men and woman. I understand that in developing countries like India, micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) have a crucial role to play because of their potential for employment creation, improvement of income distribution, poverty reduction, export growth of manufactured products, and development of rural economy,� he said.
Beside these contributions, he added, MSMEs are also considered as an important place for women, especially in rural areas, as it enables women to be actively involved in economic activities, not only as hired workers but, more importantly as entrepreneurs.
Women entrepreneurs of the region are primarily engaged in conventional sectors like food processing, sericulture, handloom and handicraft, beauty and wellness, and other service sectors.
The speakers also pointed out that various scheme and policies as earmarked for women entrepreneurs do not reach every nook and corner of the region and, hence, all those schemes were highlighted during the seminar.
In another Women�s Day function at Guwahati Press Club, a driving school for women was launched by the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) as part of its community college initiative. Named �USTM Women�s Driving School: An Outreach Initiative of ERDF,� the initiative aims at empowering women, especially those who are economically weak, school dropouts, widows, single mothers and the like by enabling them to earn a living by taking driving as a profession. Open for all women, the course will include both practical, theory and personality development classes.
The ceremonial launch was done by Prof Jeane W Anastas from Silver School of Social Work, New York University, Prof Yasmin Saikia and Dr Chad Haines from Arizona State University, USA, and Guwahati-based entrepreneur Meghali Bora.
