Women Entrepreneurs And Economic Development In Afric

This book brings together new household and enterprise data from 41 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy makers and practitioners on ways to expand women entrepreneurs’ economic opportunities. Sub-Saharan Africa boasts the highest share of women entrepreneurs, but they are disproportionately concentrated among the self-employed rather than employers. Relative to men, women are pursuing lower opportunity activities, with their enterprises more likely to be smaller, informal, and in low value-added lines of business. The challenge in expanding opportunities is not helping more women become entrepreneurs but enabling them to shift to higher return activities. A central question addressed in the book is what explains the gender sorting in the types of enterprises that women and men run? The analysis shows that many Sub-Saharan countries present a challenging environment for women. Four key areas of the agenda for expanding women’s economic opportunities in Africa are analyzed: strengthening women’s property rights and their ability to control assets; improving women’s access to finance; building human capital in business skills and networks; and strengthening women’s voices in business environment reform. These areas are important both because they have wide gender gaps and because they help explain gender differences in entrepreneurial activities. It is particularly striking that while gender gaps in education tend to close with higher incomes, gaps in women’s property rights and in women’s participation in reform processes do not. As simply raising a country’s income is unlikely to be sufficient to give women equal ability to control assets or have greater voice, more proactive steps will be needed. Practical guidelines to move the agenda forward are discussed for each of these key areas.

African women entrepreneurs present a potential force for social and economic development. In Sub-Saharan Africa women account for ninety percent of the work in food processing and eighty percent in food storage and transportation. For example, in Ghana, women have traditionally occupied key positions alongside men in the production of goods and services, yet their contributions to the economy are largely absent from national accounts. Moreover, Ghanaian women entrepreneurs have been victimized by the status quo. The main purpose of the study was to find out what business practices would be appropriate in helping women in Ghana and Africa in general with regard to managing their small businesses based on the experiences of the interviewees. Another purpose was to ascertain any government policy that serves as a barrier to women entrepreneurship development. The study shows that several factors are influencial in their business survival. These include innovation, business plan, family support, social networks, and professional development. The study also reveals that the interviewees experience gender discrimination in terms of public policies and the legal system.

This book brings together new household and enterprise data from 41 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to inform policy makers and practitioners about ways to expand women entrepreneurs' economic opportunities. Women's empowerment is recognized as the third millennium development goal; in 2012 the World Bank dedicated its annual flagship, the World Development Report, to gender equality and development (World Bank 2011); and the Nobel prize for peace was awarded to three pioneering women (two from Liberia) working for peace in their countries' fights for democracy and for greater opportunities for women. This book focuses attention on Sub-Saharan Africa, and specifically on entrepreneurship in the nonagricultural sector. The issue of gender disparities in economic opportunities in the region has been studied in terms of gaps in wage income and in job sorting in wage work (Arbache, Kolev, and Filipiak 2010; Fafchamps, Soderbom, and Benhassine 2009; Kolev and Sirven 2010). Other cross-country work has looked at entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa, but rarely with much attention paid to gender (Bigsten and Soderbom 2006; Tybout 2000; World Bank 2004). But entrepreneurship is where women in Sub-Saharan Africa are most active outside of agriculture. So it is critical to look at entrepreneurship to understand the extent of gender disparities in economic opportunities, determine the underlying reasons for these gender patterns, and develop an agenda to enable more women to realize their full potential.

This book analyzes female entrepreneurship in the textile sector in Africa as a phenomenon that favors the social integration and economic development of women in certain geographical areas. It identifies entrepreneurship as an avenue through which women can escape the feeling of being trapped in the home and assert their independence while providing for their families. In the field of fashion, female entrepreneurs in resource-rich Africa have significant opportunities through knowledge of natural resources and cultural traditions, as the use of natural fabrics and original designs is one of the latest trends. This book provides a framework for how African women can develop sustainable fashion enterprises, offering an original and lasting contribution to the field of entrepreneurship.

Presenting a topical analysis of the challenges and achievements of enterprise, Enterprise and Economic Development in Africa examines contributions to economic development on the continent, as well as exploring implications for policy dimensions.

This book explores how culture and tradition have impacted the tendency for African women to opt for entrepreneurship. The first section presents literature on the concept of entrepreneurship and introduces traditional African women entrepreneurs—the first-generation, culture-driven entrepreneurs, driven by the need to alleviate poverty within the family. The second section covers the modern, second-generation entrepreneurs driven by such forces as education, globalization, and technology. Further, the author assesses the regional perspectives on entrepreneurship and explores the entrepreneurial ecosystems to determine their relevance to the development of entrepreneurial spirit in Africa and among women in particular. This book expands on knowledge about the role that women play in the socio-economic development of the African continent.

Essay from the year 2015 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, , language: English, abstract: It has been repeatedly documented that the rise of women’s entrepreneurship in developing countries has hit a record high over the past decade. This article examines the direct and indirect causes of the rapid growth of women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Light is also shed on significant challenges to faster growth of female entrepreneurship and key factors to sustain this positive trend are proposed. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is currently the second fastest growing region of the world after Asia. Two publications (McKinsey Global Institute, 2010 and The Economist, 2011) highlighted the positive prospects of African economies driven by a rise in entrepreneurial activity. This renewed interest in Africa calls for action from management scholars. This article examines this growth from the perspective of women entrepreneurs who currently occupy larger statistics compared to the entire history of Africa as a continent. Compared to other regions of the world, sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of female entrepreneurs. These women are mostly owners of small businesses and local community shops serving the unmet needs of their homes and consumers.These include hair salon owners, high-tech visionaries and everything in between, all making critical economic contributions.

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development in Africa presents a timely and compelling account of African entrepreneurship, shedding light on the critical part it plays in the continentÕs economic growth and development. It explores the various challenges, opportunities, and success stories that define the African entrepreneurial landscape and highlights the ingenuity and determination of the continentÕs entrepreneurial minds.

Contributing to academic discussions on entrepreneurship and gender in Africa, this book provides coverage of recent trends and an exploration of the evolution of female entrepreneurship over time. This innovative new text, written from an African woman’s perspective, fills a gap in the current literature on this topic and places important focus on the role of female entrepreneurship in Africa’s development as a continent. Focussing on key issues such as social feminism and the capability approach, the author addresses the possibility of a potential overlap between social entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurship in Africa. Insightful accounts of women from countries such as South Africa, Namibia and Ghana, along with theoretical research into the further development and advancement of female entrepreneurs, make this book an important must-read for those interested in entrepreneurship and gender in Africa.

Chapters in this book contribute to our understanding of the theory, structure and practice of entrepreneurship in diverse African countries. Case studies examined include: African multinational banks and businesses, female entrepreneurs, culture and entrepreneurship, finance and entrepreneurship and SMEs.