Women in entrepreneurship: developing countries

Developing countries face several daily challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and terrorism. Furthermore, these countries are affected by other problems related to entrepreneurship, including the difficulty faced by most companies to get access to credit.

Even though many studies show that female entrepreneurship could be a fundamental element for the economic growth of these countries, their environment seems not to be convenient for business development and growth.

Data reported by the World Bank shows that women in developing countries reinvest on average 90% of their earnings in their communities, bringing enormous benefits to the countries’ economies both in economic and social terms.

In this context, institutions have created campaigns and funds such as the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network, Gender, and Development Unit, to encourage the creation and development of women’s businesses. This network launched the Women’s Leadership in Small and Medium Enterprises (WLSME) program and promoted the UNU-WIDER project that supports women entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Thanks to institutional support and incentives, more and more women are creating new start-ups even in countries where socio-political conditions are not favorable, thus realizing their ideas and bringing prosperity to the whole country.

SOURCES

https://www.wider.unu.edu/publication/female-entrepreneurship-developing-countries

https://www.eajournals.org/wp-content/uploads/Women-in-Entrepreneurship-in-Emerging-Economies.pdf