African women’s entrepreneurial efforts hindered by rampant discrimination
18 Jun 2007
The rampant gender-based discrimination obstructing African women's success in entrepreneurial efforts can only be tackled through policy and programmes, says a study by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The report titled "Lessons from Success Stories of African Women Entrepreneurs," calls for gender-specific allocation of resources, beyond the provision of micro credit schemes.
It also noted that women continue to manage businesses, which generate employment and tax revenue despite limited government support, negative social environments, institutional discrimination and lasting gender inequalities.
The report emphasizes the need to address these issues on an urgent basis. It quotes, "If African nations are to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a series of targets aimed at slashing social ills such as poverty by 2015, governments need to address these issues".
The study is based on the experiences of nine randomly selected women entrepreneurs in South Africa, Botswana, Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda.
It identifies some personality traits common to successful women entrepreneurs, including ability to take risk, creativity, extraversion, optimistic and sociable.
The study says none of the women pointed out economic gain as the number one indicator of success; rather the criteria of success included honesty, reliability and quality time spent with family.
The findings of the report will be discussed at a two-day workshop to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, beginning on June 18, 2007.
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