Women-led development is now a focus area in most gender-inclusive social and welfare schemes. For this. one of the crucial sectors that need promotion is women-oriented businesses (WOBs). Procurement is key to the success of WOBs, yet internationally, women’s businesses receive 1% of procurement spending, as per WECONNECT International.

In India, WOBs make up about 15% of enterprises, but their share in procurement opportunities hovers at about 1.2%. Structural inequalities ensure that women’s businesses, especially those from the lower-income segments, are unable to access opportunities in public and private procurement or, at best, remain disproportionately represented at the lowest tiers of the supply chain.

A study by ACCESS Development Services — Gender Responsive Public Procurement: Need for Accelerated Policy Action — found that despite policies aimed at providing assured markets, women-owned enterprises (WOEs) face substantial barriers to accessing opportunities. These challenges can arise not only from........

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