There are no limits to what we can achieve collectively
For much of human history, all over the world, the contributions of women to the world of business have been downplayed, their potential thwarted. A tremendous amount of progress on that front has been made in the past century, and the current one, but there is a still a long way to go. For many, the term “CEO” still conjures up the image of a man in a business suit in a position of authority. These ways of thinking have become entrenched in our culture, much to our detriment.
Bangladesh is an interesting case. The fact is, in spite of having women at the very top of government for decades, overall, equality is still a far cry. Existing structures, for example, make it very hard for women to enter and succeed in the world of business.
But if we have seen one thing about the recent growth of Bangladesh, it is that young, talented entrepreneurs who embrace the future are the ones who will take us forward. If we can unleash the potential of women entrepreneurs in this country, there are no limits to what we can achieve collectively.
A recent story in Dhaka Tribune features a number of young women entrepreneurs, who, bit by bit, are changing things. Faria Tabassum started the Facebook and Youtube channel Fariha’s Kitchen, and now delivers food after taking orders online.
Sonia Alam started an online clothing business, and Afsara Anjum Arshi founded a site called Foodgasm, where desserts are sent along with anonymous letters.
These three young women are representatives of a much bigger change in society, where tech has enabled many entrepreneurs -- regardless of gender, in fact -- to do business in ways that were not possible before. These entrepreneurs give us hope. Let us cheer them on.
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