‘I am an Entrepreneur’: Prime Minister Balen Urges Trademark Use Ahead of Dashain Festival
The Federation of Women Entrepreneurs Nepal has made significant progress in using a distinctive mark to identify and promote products from women-led industries, the federation stated. Prime Minister Balen Shah has urged the use of the trademark named ‘I am an Entrepreneur’ before the Dashain festival, prompting the federation to prepare the necessary conditions and procedures, said Darshana Shrestha, the federation’s president. According to Sabita Subedi, the federation’s general secretary, businesses registered under women’s names and led by women will be allowed to use this logo after evaluating quality and capacity.
The federation noted that women entrepreneurs primarily face challenges in market access and product recognition. “The products made by women are of high quality, but accessing the market remains a major challenge. To address this, we discussed and introduced the ‘I am an Entrepreneur’ trademark last year to help brand their products,” President Shrestha explained. She added that the women entrepreneurs’ team had a meeting with Prime Minister Shah on Thursday, during which he expressed great interest in the initiative. A note released by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat prior to the meeting stated, “Honorable Prime Minister Shah has accepted the federation’s request to develop the ‘I am an Entrepreneur’ trademark brand and has encouraged immediate market launch.”
The trademark has already been registered by the federation, and work has begun to implement it before Dashain following discussions with the Prime Minister. The businesses run by women may include both production and service sectors. Vasumaya Tamang, a prominent female entrepreneur producing Timur leaf covers and various pickles, highlighted that specialized branding will significantly support Nepali women’s entrepreneurship. She is currently also a member of the House of Representatives representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party (Rastriya Swatantra Party). Her pickle products are exported to Australia, the United States, the UK, Japan, Europe, and Gulf countries.
The federation reported that women’s contribution accounts for nearly 36 percent of Nepal’s total gross domestic product (GDP). More than 60 percent of the labor force in the agriculture sector comprises women. Most women are involved in micro, small, and medium enterprises, which contribute 22 percent to the GDP. “In terms of business registration, approximately 29 percent of micro, small, and medium enterprises are registered under women’s names; however, not all are actually operated by women,” President Shrestha said. The federation now includes 5,700 women entrepreneurs.
Despite their significant contributions to the national economy, women entrepreneurs have yet to fully benefit from policies, finance, technology, and market access opportunities, President Shrestha said. During discussions with the Prime Minister, the federation proposed necessary policy reforms to encourage women entrepreneurs. “Issues such as market access, ease of credit, and seed capital continue to challenge women entrepreneurs,” General Secretary Subedi noted.
