To readers: Understand the positivity that is mentioned in this article. It is not at all in a negative sense. The message is; life has ups & downs and we need to be productive while facing it.
Be optimistic!
Why there are very few women entrepreneurs in Pakistan? Let’s look at the challenges for a woman entrepreneur in Pakistan…
Be optimistic!
Why there are very few women entrepreneurs in Pakistan? Let’s look at the challenges for a woman entrepreneur in Pakistan…
Its 10:00 am, she is all done with
breakfast of family, every one has gone to their respective businesses, done with cleaning,
dusting, meal is up on the stove…. ok yeah she will work now, she thought then
she turns on the internet…
Pakistani entrepreneur: Oh no, no internet, then
she complains asap, she complains to internet provider every day, finally it’s
the 8th day since she has complained that internet is not working,
the internet gets fixed…sigh….now she will work….
Next day, exactly at 10:00 am, she
turns on the internet, starts working…..At 11:00 am, the electricity goes
off…comes back at 1:00 pm…can she work now? No. Lunch needs to be ready by 2:00
pm. So she works for 15 non-productive minutes online, then shuts-down the
laptop…For few days, light goes off from time to time…..no productivity she did
during this hide & seek of electricity….
When will she become an
entrepreneur?
The water finishes
It’s almost a month ago, when she first thought of being an entrepreneur….Its 10:00 am, she is all done with her morning chores, sits by her laptop. At 11:30 am she realizes that water is getting finished in the overhead tank, due to short supply of water in her locality. She has to leave her entrepreneurial ‘idea’ for the time being, goes to fill buckets for water storage before there is no water in the kitchen & washroom. Even though she has time to work on her idea that is popping up every day, she is now doing all the washing, cleaning, & cooking works before the water finishes. Its 1:30 pm now, 2:00 pm is lunch time, shower times, home work time, then evening tea/fruits time…..For few months, there was same routine with water, she kept struggling to finish water works, storing water…..sitting on the internet non-productively…..
It’s almost a month ago, when she first thought of being an entrepreneur….Its 10:00 am, she is all done with her morning chores, sits by her laptop. At 11:30 am she realizes that water is getting finished in the overhead tank, due to short supply of water in her locality. She has to leave her entrepreneurial ‘idea’ for the time being, goes to fill buckets for water storage before there is no water in the kitchen & washroom. Even though she has time to work on her idea that is popping up every day, she is now doing all the washing, cleaning, & cooking works before the water finishes. Its 1:30 pm now, 2:00 pm is lunch time, shower times, home work time, then evening tea/fruits time…..For few months, there was same routine with water, she kept struggling to finish water works, storing water…..sitting on the internet non-productively…..
When will she become an
entrepreneur?
The kitchen sink tap
Five months passed since she thought that she will be an entrepreneur…from today she will work non-stop, she thinks…..but it’s only her imagination….the kitchen sink tap is stuck and the water is not flowing properly, washroom shower is leaking, there is plumbing work in kitchen & washroom…calls the plumber, the plumber shows-up after two weeks, works for few hours, keeps coming for a week, seems like he is working, but he is actually making money, showing that there is lot of work, but the work is actually of 1 hour maximum. Two more weeks pass, no productivity online due to plumbing work….
Five months passed since she thought that she will be an entrepreneur…from today she will work non-stop, she thinks…..but it’s only her imagination….the kitchen sink tap is stuck and the water is not flowing properly, washroom shower is leaking, there is plumbing work in kitchen & washroom…calls the plumber, the plumber shows-up after two weeks, works for few hours, keeps coming for a week, seems like he is working, but he is actually making money, showing that there is lot of work, but the work is actually of 1 hour maximum. Two more weeks pass, no productivity online due to plumbing work….
When will she become an
entrepreneur?
Be productive
Alright, done with internet issues, electricity issues, water issues, plumbing issues, hmm… she will finally have time for her ideas. But will she have? Hahahahaha…No dear you don’t have time for your ideas yet…These are two months vacations of kids. She loves to play with kids, cook with kids, art & science projects with kids which they can’t do during school days, there are parties, gatherings, she likes to go with kids to parks, relatives, shopping…After two months, and fast forward 8 months since she first though she will be productive now…Well she is productive in many ways, managing house chores, family, cooking & cleaning… but not at all productive in terms of her ‘idea’…she gets time to sit in front of her laptop from time to time non-productively…she can only like pages & see what others are doing….
Alright, done with internet issues, electricity issues, water issues, plumbing issues, hmm… she will finally have time for her ideas. But will she have? Hahahahaha…No dear you don’t have time for your ideas yet…These are two months vacations of kids. She loves to play with kids, cook with kids, art & science projects with kids which they can’t do during school days, there are parties, gatherings, she likes to go with kids to parks, relatives, shopping…After two months, and fast forward 8 months since she first though she will be productive now…Well she is productive in many ways, managing house chores, family, cooking & cleaning… but not at all productive in terms of her ‘idea’…she gets time to sit in front of her laptop from time to time non-productively…she can only like pages & see what others are doing….
When will she become an
entrepreneur?
Stay at home mum?
School reopens, 10:00 am again and she is in front of her laptop. 10:30 am she gets call from some relative, are you home? Yes she says… see you soon laptop she says ….They come over for lunch stay until dinner is served….. They think and they say, oh come on! what work you have to do online…you can do it any time, you stay at home…they don’t say but they really mean that you are useless you just have to see cooking & cleaning….what a thinking…
When will she become an
entrepreneur?
Plus there are many many reasons that time flies so fast…holidays….eid dresses, eid preparations….…unwanted city shut down, strikes, political issues in the city …..more electricity load shedding….more water problems……gas load shedding etc etc etc …. …… managing spiders & spider webs, cockroaches, lizards, ants…..expectations of relatives, friends, in-laws, seasonal & non-seasonal parties, .….Even weekends pass in a flash due to weekly grocery, weekly left over chores…call for an utterly boring party she can’t refuse..….Plus everyone says you have time because you don’t do a job! Come on! she thinks, what I am ‘trying’ to set up is far beyond the understanding of workers at a job!
When will she become an entrepreneur?
The time ticks
A year passes, 2 years pass, 3 years pass, & for many Pakistani, well-educated women whole life passes trying to figure out their aim in life! Their aim revolves around family, fun, Eid, shopping, matching laces, make up, kitchen, selfies & cell phones, food food food…that’s it!
A year passes, 2 years pass, 3 years pass, & for many Pakistani, well-educated women whole life passes trying to figure out their aim in life! Their aim revolves around family, fun, Eid, shopping, matching laces, make up, kitchen, selfies & cell phones, food food food…that’s it!
These all issues seem small & seem
like overcoming these is not a big deal! Yes these are small problems & are
petty problems, but keep the lady busy so much so that she can’t get time for
her ‘ideas’. Ladies can’t even realize their potential. Their all endeavors end
at marriage while they think its pinnacle of what they could become in life… Salute to those female entrepreneurs
who are residing in Pakistan, and they have managed to be a productive
entrepreneur. Those who are taking care of their family & spare some time
for others as well, that is the real tough task in Pakistan……Not vain!
See also: Technopreneurship
Petty problems pointed out by,
Well explained.
ReplyDeletethanx Zainab, these are but few situations....there are many other little issues that hurdle in a woman's success...
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Deletethanx yusra
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