Challenges of Women Entrepreneurship in F-Commerce: A Study on Rangpur Region

F-Commerce, a blend of Facebook and commerce, refers to marketing and selling products or services via Facebook. Due to the platform’s widespread popularity, it has rapidly influenced online shopping trends. Women, comprising nearly half the population, are actively engaging in F-Commerce, benefiting from the convenience of browsing and purchasing products from home. This study aims to identify the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in F-Commerce in Rangpur. Specific objectives include examining demographic characteristics, assessing entrepreneurship challenges, and understanding the extent to which women adopt F-Commerce as an occupation. Using a descriptive and exploratory survey, structured and semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 300 women entrepreneurs from Rangpur and Dinajpur. Both probability and non-probability sampling methods were used, and data were analyzed using Microsoft Word, Excel, and SPSS 20.0. Findings reveal significant challenges for women in F-Commerce, including financial constraints (93.7%), difficulties obtaining business permissions (89.4%), societal stigma against Facebook commerce (95%), poor network access in remote areas (100%), emotional distress from online harassment (90.7%), and inappropriate messages on business pages (97%). Additionally, many women lack business education or training (96.9%) and face obstacles in acquiring trading licenses (88.3%). Such issues discourage women from continuing their businesses, with 92.7% citing Facebook-related difficulties as a reason for withdrawal. Statistical analyses confirmed the reliability of findings, with Cronbach’s alpha at 0.701 and a Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of 0.708. Multiple regression analysis showed that 40.1% of variations in felt stress were explained by the identified challenges (R² = .826, F(33, 266) = 38.301, p < .0001). Addressing these challenges through proper training, financial support, and policy interventions can enhance women’s participation in F-Commerce.