Labour Force Participation, Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Through Micro-entrepreneurship: Evidence from Odisha, India

In this 21st century, the aggregative model of democracy would not be able to address the complex problem of a plural society where structural inequality is rampant. Hence, it is imperative to unearth a convenient way of the decision-making process through various social and economic empowerment factors, which enhance women’s participation and awareness despite structural inequalities deeply rooted in Indian society in general and Odisha in particular. This article seeks to highlight the factors determining women’s empowerment and identify issues related to the management of the enterprise. We have surveyed a hundred women entrepreneurs in the Ganjam district of Odisha, India, for the study. We have used multiple regression and Poisson regression models to identify the key determinants of women’s empowerment. The study found that domestic decision, autonomy, self-confidence, business skills and public deliberation are significant determinants of the number of indicators adopted to enhance the overall empowerment index. The multiple regression models found that women’s leisure, unpaid work, self-confidence, business skills and social status positively affect empowerment. The study found that micro-entrepreneurship is successful in the Ganjam district of Odisha. Hence, it is imperative to empower women through public deliberation and motivate them to participate in micro-entrepreneurship.