BENGALURU: Karnataka is one of the four states in the country that collectively contributes to 51.9 per cent women-owned businesses, but it may be much more, said National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam.
She was speaking at the ThinkBig 2016, an entrepreneurship summit organised by WEConnect International in association with the state government at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre.
“Investing in women is no longer corporate social responsibility (CSR) but a necessity as 80 per cent of the workforce constitutes women. About 90 per cent of the informal sector is constituted by women and more so in agriculture. But women own only two per cent of assets as they do not inherit property and because of this banks refuse loans as there is no security,” she added.
She said basic things like a creche at a workplace is not a favour but a right. “The amount of money and time that is wasted on training someone new, inexperienced and incompetent is much greater than what companies invest in setting up a creche at a workplace,” she said.
She said that the NCW had recently set up a creche under her tenure, the first since its inception in 1992. “If this is the state of affairs at NCW, I shudder to think of other workplaces,” she said.
Exclusive industrial areas for women
CM Siddaramaiah said that the new industrial policy 2014-19 of the state proposes to promote exclusive industrial areas for women at Harohalli, Ramanagara and Hubballi. Exclusive clusters for women in textile, and gems and jewellery; special attention will be given to make industrial areas women-friendly by providing creches and schools.