Empowering subsistence women entrepreneurs in India

Abstract

Purpose Empowerment of women by social enterprises in emerging economies has received attention from researchers. This paper aims to study three social enterprises in India that aim to empower subsistence women entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach A comparative case analysis of three social enterprises is done to develop understanding of systems and processes adopted by them. Sources such as published journal and news articles, case studies, success stories and official websites are used for data collection. Findings The study found that all three organisations strive to increase the asset base of members by organizing disempowered subsistence producers lacking market power; extending services throughout the value chain, i.e. from raw material supply to marketing of products; ploughing back regular incomes and bonuses through mechanisms acceptable to all members; and empowering subsistence producers to gain market power and ability to choose. The interventions give market exposure and voice to the concerns of women producers. These organisations successfully leverage the strength of their relations with civil society and markets in sustaining the business. Women empowerment was found to be achieved through regular income, collective voice, ability to take decisions and creation of social value. Research limitations/implications This paper does not take into consideration enterprises promoted by government. Practical implications A conceptual framework is suggested in this paper along with insights for organisations interested in collectivising subsistence women for empowering them. Originality/value The conceptual framework provided in this paper enriches the understanding of social enterprises working with the objective of women empowerment.

Informal entrepreneurship and women's empowerment – the case of street vendors in urban Colombia

“…Therefore, our study contributes to the academic literature by identifying the context and characteristics of women's informal entrepreneurs and the relationship between their economic activity and their empowerment levels in emerging economies. We hypothesized that since informal entrepreneurship provides women access to economic resources, expanded their social network and allow them to exercise control over managerial issues (Al-Dajani et al , 2015; Banihani, 2020; Saripalli et al , 2018), get involved in this type of entrepreneurship would increase their empowerment level.…”

“…Al-Dajani et al (2015) found that displaced Palestinian women see entrepreneurship as an active “doing” with potentialities to make socioeconomic changes in places where poverty and marginalization constrain resources and opportunities. Saripalli et al (2018) studied three organizations in India that help female subsistence entrepreneurs to: “extending services throughout the value chain (…), ploughing back regular incomes and bonuses through mechanisms acceptable to all members; and empowering subsistence producers to gain market power and ability to choose” (p. 71). Authors found that through encouraging and strengthening women's skills, supporting them with microcredits and regular incomes and providing them market access, these organizations have enabled women's capacity to make decisions and take charge of their lives (Banihani, 2020; Ciruela-Lorenzo et al , 2020; Mukorera, 2020; Senapati and Ojha, 2019).…”

“…Al-Dajani et al (2015) found that displaced Palestinian women see entrepreneurship as an active "doing" with potentialities to make socioeconomic changes in places where poverty and marginalization constrain resources and opportunities. Saripalli et al (2018) studied three organizations in India that help female subsistence entrepreneurs to: "extending services throughout the value chain (. .…”

Drivers, Barriers, and Facilitators of Entrepreneurship at BoP: Review, Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda

“…The desire to reduce income uncertainties and achieve self-fulfillment play an important role in entrepreneurial opportunity development by subsistence entrepreneurs (Yessoufou, Blok, and Omta 2018). The pursuit of subsistence entrepreneurship can also be motivated by the desire to have a respectful, autonomous and dignified living (Lindeman 2014; Saripalli, Chawan, and Gunta 2019; Sridharan et al 2014). Varman and Costa (2008) argue that subsistence entrepreneurs, through their marketplace interactions, aim to develop and maintain valuable social connections.…”

“…Social enterprises working for enhancing choices and market power of subsistence women producers organize them into groups, provide them with end-to-end value chain services and reinvest their profits using mechanisms acceptable to them (Saripalli, Chawan, and Gunta 2019). They consider the relative efficacy of various institutional arrangements in empowering BoP producers while making their structuring decisions and might deliberately choose to be financially inefficient for maximizing the total utility function composed of social and economic outcomes.…”