Project to empower rural women entrepreneurs in former conflict zone

Wednesday, 17 September 2014 00:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Hindu: A special project funded by the Asia Foundation for empowerment of rural women entrepreneurs will be a boon to those settled in the war-torn areas in Sri Lanka, said T. Velnampy, Dean of Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna. Addressing a select group of women members of Tamil Nadu at an awareness program organised as part of the project on ‘Business and Management Capacity Development of Rural Women Entrepreneurs of India and Sri Lanka’ here on Friday, he said that a large number of women traders and entrepreneurs in the war-torn areas of Sri Lanka were not educated enough to find a skilled employment. The project would benefit them, he added.

G. Kannabiran, Professor of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi and founder member of Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, said the one-year project was being implemented through the centre in association with South Eastern University of Sri Lanka and the University of Jaffna. The Asia Foundation had granted Rs. 32 lakhs for the project being implemented in coordination with the Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Tamil Nadu. About 50 entrepreneurs would be identified and assisted in identifying market, development of product, and financial management. A six-day program on business and management capacity development would be conducted in Sri Lanka and India as part of the project. S. Rajeswari, Superintendent of Police, advised the participants to go for innovative practices. Rani Muralidharan, President of WEAT, said that sessions would be held to ascertain the needs of women entrepreneurs of the State.