The Development of Female Entrepreneurship: The case of Micro and Small Enterprises

Female?s economic independence is critical in alleviating poverty. Though female?s participation in paid employment outside agriculture has increased, their work continues to be characterized by a concentration in low status and low pay jobs, which are often temporary and informal. Globally, gender wage gaps exist and unemployment rates for female are higher than for men. This is because female perform the majority of unpaid work which restricts their access to employment opportunities outside of the home. Increasing female?s involvement in entrepreneurial activities is one of the most important strategies for poverty reduction. However, because of different problems, the full potential of female entrepreneurship in Micro and Small enterprises is not fully used. Hence, this book addresses the factors that influence the development of female entrepreneurship in MSEs, the concrete barriers that hinder female entrepreneurs, the incentives female entrepreneurs need to start their own businesses, the reasons that motivate females to be engaging in their own business and the situation of female entrepreneurs in general