The thriving E-commerce opens up a new era in women employment in Bangladesh as the online based trade draws people in large due to easy access to technology and to keep pace with the busiest world.
E-commerce is blooming in Bangladesh rapidly as the whole world is getting dependent on technology. Everything is now online-based and anyone can buy or sell anything on the virtual platform.
In fact, Bangladesh saw a huge expansion of the online platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic as people became more dependent on online due to the pandemic situation.
E-commerce is getting popular among people and spreading in Bangladesh rapidly as specially, a groundbreaking change has taken place in this sector during the Coronavirus situation.
The online based business increased the number of women entrepreneurs and enriched the sector.
But, very promising this sector suffered a major setback due to disruption on some big online platforms including E-Valley.
Currently, the government has introduced Unique Business Identification (UBID) to restore discipline in the E-commerce sector as most owners of the online based trade organizations which got registration in the first phase are women.
The women entrepreneurs said that they are also moving ahead along with their male counterparts. They (women) are becoming self-dependent through e-commerce overcoming a lot of obstacles. But they are facing problems as most of the wholesale markets and buying places are not women-friendly till now.
They hoped that the situation would be better in the days to come.
Annika, one of the owners of an e-commerce site, said that she is doing business of 'polao chal' (chinigura rice) from Dinajpur.
She is a student of a local government college in Dinajpur and she belongs to a rich family. But, she has an ambition to do something. Later, she started business of rice during the COVID-19 situation. Even, she sold rice of about Taka 20, 00,000 in first six months.
She said it is really amazing. "My family especially my father encourages me to do the business. Even, he also visited different wholesale markets of rice to buy good one," she added.
Another successful woman Rowda said, "I started my online business of ornaments in 2018. That time, the business was only online based. My family helps me a lot. Now, I've a shop in Mirpur-11. My husband helps me in the shop after his office."
She said many women become entrepreneurs on the virtual platforms. But, they are also facing some problems especially in wholesale markets as most places are not women-friendly, she added.
Rafia, one of the woman entrepreneurs in Chattogram, said, "I started my business in 2019. In the beginning, I sold only women's cloths. But, now I expand my business and also selling gents' items."
She is also a member of 'WE'; a facebook based online platforms for the women.
