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Women’s Day Special: Inspiring stories of strength of 4 Women Entrepreneurs of Bhendi Bazaar
Have a look at some inspiring and motivating stories of the strength of the women entrepreneurs of Bhendi Bazaar and how they overcame all the obstacles that came their way.
March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day all around the world. It is a day to appreciate and celebrate women and their efforts and hardships. A day that marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality and their rights.
Women have and will always possess the indomitable spirit to be the best version of themselves. So we have for you some fascinating stories of women entrepreneurs from Bhendi Bazaar who have independently led their home-businesses to uplift their families and community and provide them with financial stability.
Husaina H Ratlamwala
She started her journey of being an entrepreneur in 2020 and decided to make the most of the time at hand during the lockdown and had the idea of making ginger-garlic paste at home, to be able to sell in the neighbourhood.
“I wanted to be able to contribute to my family financially during the lockdown, which was a very tough time for everyone. Since my business (home-made ginger-garlic paste) wasn’t something that needed any financial backing per se, I didn’t have to ask anyone for financial support. My family was very encouraging throughout. I didn’t face any particular challenge setting up the business, given that I was working out of my own house, with basic ingredients that I knew how to work with”.
Fizza Jethpurwala
She custom-makes ridas on request, which she runs online. Over the years, she has expanded her online store to include tissues, plates, and homemade chocolates.
“I thought of starting a business initially to be able to support my husband financially. I wanted to be able to take care of smaller household expenses, and the day-to-day needs and wishes of my children without having to ask my husband for money. I’m not very outgoing as a personality, and initially found it difficult to build a network for my business, and get enough people to know about my business. I sought support from a friend of mine, who had a small business of her own, and taught me the ropes for my own.
“My husband was always supportive of me starting my work, and also helped me out with a small start-up amount when I was setting up my business. I think it’s important to be able to ensure you can take financial responsibility for yourself, in the absence of your spouse/parent”.
Ruqaiyah Pettiwala
In 2017, she decided to start her own catering business that she ran right from her home. She catered authentic Bohri food, along with some South Indian cuisine that she was familiar with. Even though she started by her today Ruqaiyah has a loyal customer base, and enjoys the support and appreciation of her community, who are all immensely proud of her.
“I have always enjoyed and been passionate about cooking. When I moved to Mumbai in 2016, I thought of pursuing it beyond my kitchen and found a ready clientele in the community that I lived in at Bhendi Bazaar, since Bohri cuisine was one of my specialities. I started at a small scale independently, and never needed any financial support. I had the complete backing of my husband even as the business expanded. As a woman in this day and age, it’s most important to be financially independent, irrespective of how much your parents or your spouse is capable of supporting you. Nothing equals being able to take care of yourself”.
Mariya Attarwala
In 2003, she started a workshop to expand her hobby of making jhablas into a full-fledged business. Presently, her workshop churns out jhablas, customised pillowcases, and bags for children. The lockdown has caused her workshop to remain shut for some time since her workers travel from the suburbs. But she plans to resume her business after Ramzan, and continue supporting her family financially.
“This was something that I started because people wanted me to because my friends and acquaintances loved the jhablas that I dressed my daughter in. Once I became independent, my soaring confidence gave me the push to continue expanding my work. My husband has always been incredibly supportive of everything that I wanted to do, and I didn’t need any financial support to start.
At the start of my business, I lived in a joint family who helped with taking care of my daughter. But upon the birth of my second child, we moved out, and it became difficult to cope with two children and the business. But I took the time to balance both without getting overwhelmed, and continued my work”.
