As the calendar year ends Suchita Malkarnekar gets anxiousand keeps reminding each of her women team members to submit their products intime, as she gears up for ‘Asturi’, her favourite exhibition of the year,that’s held in the first trimester. At these exhibitions she and other womenentrepreneurs like her display their exclusive home-made hand work items.
“Asturi is a word close to every woman in Goa as in theKonkani language asturi means woman and so we asturis (women) await the yearlyevent ‘Asturi’ where women entrepreneurs from all over Goa interact, share acommon platform and market our products,” says Suchita who has become a popularname even in the rural households. The exhibition is organised by the Women’sWing of Goa Chamber of Commerce.
“Recognising that women constitute a vital section of thesociety, we started the Women’s Wing in 2005. This was to lay special emphasison development of entrepreneurial skills of Goan women,” shares NitinKuncolienkar, the past President of GCCI during whose term this wing got itswings.
“There are 1500 women self-help groups and 34 registeredwomen entrepreneurs closely associated with our Wing alongwith various otherswho have large businesses of their own. We all share a common platform and helpeach other grow our businesses,” says Pratima Dhond, Chairperson of GCCI’sWomen’s Wing.
Committed to raise the level of women entrepreneurs andprovide avenues to reach their products beyond the geographical boundaries ofGoa, the organisation has carved out a niche market for women entrepreneurssince its inception, in 2005. Through educational programmes, workshops,seminars and workshops, the dedicated team encourages women entrepreneurship inthe state and provides a platform where women can gather and share theirproducts and ideas.
“Allowing the women to spread their wings beyond stateboundaries, the Women’s Wings of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI)and the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), Bangalore,has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for co-operation in holdingprogrammes on women entrepreneurship and other small businesses for mutualbenefit,” briefs Varsha Pai Raikar, a core team member and the past chairpersonwho handles her corrugated box manufacturing business since 1990.
The wing facilitates the women entrepreneurs to choose theright business and guides them to find funding through banking institutions orcredit societies. Some women who are already in business get to widen theircontact list that helps them grow. “Some of us are already into this professionfor a reasonably long time and are seasoned. We help newcomers by sharing ourown experiences,” says Snehalata Sunil Pednekar, an architect for 30 years anda visiting lecturer at Goa College of Architecture who is in active associationwith the Wing.
Many have started their own business in tourism relatedactivity, handicrafts, restaurant services, readymade garments, beauty salons,construction, mining excavation, IT hardware, poultry breeding farms and evencountry wines. Some have taken up professions linked to insurance, media andadvertising, while some others are life coach and trainer, advocate, charteredaccountant, industrial consultant, engineer and architect.
“The sky is the limit and we women in Goa are no longerbehind men in proving our entrepreneur skills,” concludes Jyoti Palekar whosuccessfully plays the role of Sarpanch at Santa Cruz, Merces and runs herstationary, Photostat and readymade garments business as well.
