Corruption is a big obstacle for women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, which is why they are lagging behind men in many categories of employment, according to a leading chamber for women.

"Corruption is everywhere. Without money, nothing can be done. From bank loans to trade licences, the problem is everywhere," said Selima Ahmad, president of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI).

She made this comment at the closing session of a three-day event, styled "Women's Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property in Bangladesh: Challenges and the Way Forward", at FARS Hotel and Resorts in Dhaka yesterday.

The event was organised by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industries and the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks.

This event is based on a national project that has equipped 25 women entrepreneurs across various sectors with skills in intellectual property, focusing on trademarks and broader business topics such as market access and finance.

Selima said the number of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh is still very low compared to developed countries.

She informed that while the number of women entrepreneurs in the country has been rising for the past few years, it is still not 25 percent of the total number of businesspeople.

"If the number of women entrepreneurs in the country does not reach 25 percent, then we will not be able to transform into a developed country," Selima added.

"Women entrepreneurs need to be skilled," she said, while suggesting that a proactive and strategic approach would help increase the inclusion of women entrepreneurs.

Rubaba Dowla, country managing director of Oracle Bangladesh, said the country is set to graduate from its least developed status and become a developing nation by 2026.

Whenever any developing country goes through a transition, several elements support it as pillars.

"Among them, intellectual property rights is one area through which we can increase innovation. Besides, we can make access to knowledge better," she added.

Barrister Sharmin Akter, an advocate of the Supreme Court, said the SME Policy 2019 is designed to support women entrepreneurs with proper training and knowledge dissemination.

"But it is not enough to have policies and laws as implementation is very important," ‍she said.

"It is very important for our women entrepreneurs to know about their rights and how to protect them," Akter added.

The session was moderated by Alexandra Bhattacharya, manager for the office of the deputy director general of the regional and national development sector of the WIPO.