Pathways for the economic empowerment of female entrepreneurs in emerging economies: Implications for social work

Abstract

In many emerging economies, owning and operating a small/medium-scale business is essential in the creation of wealth, empowering business owners and helping to address the developmental challenges of the society. Although many women are venturing into family businesses in Ghana, there are still some challenges that hinder their economic empowerment. Interviewing 15 women in small, family businesses in Accra, this article identifies three main concerns of the women which are identified as critical pathways that social workers interested in the economic empowerment of female entrepreneurs could follow. The implications of the findings for social work practice are discussed.

Empowering Kibera during political change: A case study through a Freirean lens

“…The results support findings from other research, namely, the importance of a multi-layered approach to empowerment within the community where strategies followed a period of reflection and consideration of the issues (Boateng, 2020); and the value of participation to understand the action of politicians (Nikku and Rafique, 2019) – within Kibera, conscientisation appeared to show there was respect for democracy, but a strong sense of abandonment and a feeling of being used for political gains. This was set against the history and backdrop of ethnic politics and the geography of Kibera which saw particular groups dominating certain areas while living alongside other ethnicities.…”

Understanding women's performance of entrepreneurship in the Sri Lankan context

“…Yet even then women's entrepreneurial pursuits are shown to be loaded by the continuing salience of the interconnections between gender and culture (Mitra and Basit, 2021). Indeed, research shows that taking over the reins of established family businesses is no guarantee of emancipation or empowerment for women entrepreneurs, particularly in patriarchal country contexts (Boateng, 2021). Further extant literature shows us that when women entrepreneurs are studied, there are underlying presumptions of industries women are expected to pursue entrepreneurship in.…”

The influence of women on SME innovation in emerging markets

“…Further, women in emerging markets often lack equal access to loans, financial institutions, and business education, which may cause women entrepreneurs to experience restricted venture growth and lack confidence in their decision‐making abilities (Rashid & Ratten, 2020). In fact, some institutions even restrict women to only starting businesses or holding jobs that are operated from their home, further limiting the potential for venture growth (Aidis, Welter, Smallbone, & Isakova, 2007; Boateng, 2021).…”