To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Amaechi, Ezenwayi. "Exploring Barriers to Women Entrepreneurs in Enugu State, Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2780.
Full textAbstract:
Women play an important role in the development of their families and communities economically; however, in comparison to men, they disproportionately experience barriers such as low income households, poverty, unemployment, lack of training, and discrimination. The purpose of this mini-ethnographic case study was to explore the perceptions of women entrepreneurs in Enugu State, Nigeria on what information they need to overcome possible barriers in their business and economic development. The 5M (market, money, management, motherhood, meso, and microenvironment) framework provided the theoretical lens for this investigation. The data gathering process involved face-to-face semistructured interviews with 15 women entrepreneurs in 3 local markets in Enugu State, in addition to direct observation, field notes, and reflective journal entries. Data were inductively analyzed and then triangulated to ensure trustworthiness of findings. The major themes revealed that these women needed information in the areas of marketing, customer relations, accounting procedures, financing strategies, and formal business training to grow their businesses. Embracing the results of this research may contribute to positive social change by providing information on how small scale women entrepreneurs could reduce their dependence on their husbands, partners, and relatives.
2
Peter, Wuraola. "Financial Barriers and Response Strategies to Support Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Nigeria." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/42689.
Full textAbstract:
Women entrepreneurs play increasingly important roles in job creation and sustainable economic growth in developing economies, including sub-Saharan Africa. While Nigeria has made progress in closing gender gaps in women’s employment rights, financial inclusion and access to resources remain challenges for many women who seek to start and grow businesses. Barriers to venture creation are particularly problematic for women entrepreneurs living in rural Nigeria. Yet, few studies have examined women entrepreneurs’ access to capital in the context of rural Nigeria, including the perceived value of informal lenders and government support programs. This thesis informs the literature by reporting on women entrepreneurs who own and operate retail micro-enterprises in rural, South-West Nigeria, specifically Atakunmosa West, Osun State. The study findings demonstrate the value and limitations of informal lenders, such as Ajo and Esusu, in bridging institutional voids in banking practices and technology-enabled money services. Drawing on the social feminist and resource-based theory, the study advances a conceptual model of the gendered context of financial inclusion and considers the implications for research and policy.
3
Suh, Clara J. "Asian American women entrepreneurs." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90107.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2014.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 81-83).
There are an estimated 620,300 firms owned by Asian American women nationwide, and they contribute $105 billion to the U.S. economy. They are also active in Greater Boston's innovation and entrepreneurship communities. This thesis explores the entrepreneurial narratives of eight women whose small-medium enterprises (SMEs) are concentrated in the professional, scientific and technical industries. My focus is on the following questions: 1) What are the conditions under which Asian American women entrepreneurs are successful? 2) Does their collective entrepreneurial narrative display any unique characteristics? Through in-depth interviews with individual entrepreneurs, I explore these questions and identify emergent themes that add to our understanding of the realities and challenges that entrepreneurship affords. These themes include the transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, the early start-up stages of building a business and the role of network structures. Later themes address the broader role that Asian American women entrepreneurs play in their local communities and civic society.
by Clara J. Suh.
M.C.P.
4
McAvoy, D. A. "Women entrepreneurs in the UK armed forces." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2015. http://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/9317.
Full textAbstract:
Literature on entrepreneurship has been criticised on several grounds including a strong bias to examine masculine traits, being deeply rooted in the private sector, limited to economics, conceptualised as a specialist skill pertinent only to non-public entities, overly positivist, single causal and with a tendency to downplay the relevance of both the social and human sciences. The relatively few studies of female entrepreneurs in the public sector have been criticised on the grounds of privileging structure over agency and for ignoring new research perspectives. The literature calls for the generation of alternative viewpoints on entrepreneurship and specifically towards those that pay greater attention to the level of the individual within an institutional setting and that embraces like interaction with multiple sociological variables. To generate research outside these biases, a dynamic relational model consisting of four interactive variables (structure, agency, networks and context) was developed and then used to guide a case study on women entrepreneurs within a male dominated institution - the United Kingdom’s (UK) Armed Forces. A critical realist research methodology was used. Interviews were conducted with a stratified sample of 52 female, uniformed officers drawn from all three services (Navy, Army, Airforce). The findings revealed how women use structure, agency, networks and context to create the necessary leverage to bring about entrepreneurial institutional change based on individual goal realisation strategies. The originality of this research is threefold. Firstly, it examines female entrepreneurs in a male dominated public sector institution. Secondly, it uses a critical realist research methodology. Finally, the research develops a dynamic relational model that has wider utility. The overall net result of this research approach is to provide a richer understanding of the complex, multi-causal nature of public sector entrepreneurship that has the potential for far broader application.
5
Omonubi, Rolake. "Status of women in Western Nigeria." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2000. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/3261.
Full textAbstract:
This study examined the status of women in Southwestern Nigeria from a legal perspective. It scrutinized the three legal infrastructures in the Nigerian legal system. The study is based on the premise that the huge disparity in the socio-economic development of the women in South-western Nigeria is a consequence of inadequate legal protection. Four independent variables were considered, and three intervening variables were identified. Workshops, interviews and surveys were conducted. A document analysis approach was used to examine the three legal infrastructures in the Nigerian legal system—the Common Law also known as the English Law, the Statutory Laws which are a culmination of ordinances, bills, and decrees and the Customary laws which evolved through tradition. The study found that constitutional and statutory laws do indeed provide substantial protection for women; however, some Statutory laws exclude women married under the customary laws. The conclusions drawn from this finding is that factors including but not limited to the inadequacy of legal protection, are key elements to which the socio-economic and political backwardness of women may be attributed. The factors include a lack of gender specific legislation to emancipate women from the shackles of patriarchy; ignorance and lack of awareness of existing protection; biased customary laws which are pro-male and which inhibit the socio-economic and political advancement of women and customs which reinforce gender inequality.
6
Mogashoa, Molebogeng. "Opportunity exploitation amongst women entrepreneurs within the Engineering sector." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/64883.
Full textAbstract:
The study purpose was three-fold. First, it explored the challenges that hindered increased participation of women entrepreneurs in the Engineering sector. Second, it determined whether entrepreneurial opportunities were exploited by applying already acquired knowledge, skill and expertise through innovation. Thirdly, it probed if out of these opportunities women engineers independently created new firms. Based on the the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship, a qualitative research methodology was adopted, using convenience, quota and judgement sampling techniques. Data analysis was through means of content analysis. The findings were based on nine responses gathered through in-depth structured interviews.
Key findings affirm that entrepreneurial background and experience play a critical role in women engineersÕ ability to identify and exploit opportunities and that knowledge was spilled over from their incumbent organisations. There was, however, no evidence of commercialisation of a new idea by any of the firms that were started. Access to market, due to limited networks, remained the greatest challenge facing women entrepreneurs. Enterprise development including strategic partnerships were found to be prerequisites for institutional support and market growth.
The study delineates limitations, contributions to the field and further research to be done in the Engineering sector with a gender lens.Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2017.
nk2018
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted
7
Stone, Margaret Priscilla. "Women, work and marriage: A restudy of the Nigerian Kofyar." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/184499.
Full textAbstract:
Most scholars of female farmers of sub-Saharan Africa have come to agree that the transition from subsistence to market agriculture has hurt women's independent agricultural enterprises and incomes. Research conducted among a group of farmers known as the Kofyar of central Nigeria provides a case study which runs counter to this general consensus. Kofyar women have not suffered a loss of economic or social independence with the introduction of cash-cropping but have in fact embraced the new opportunities of the markets to produce crops for sale independently of their households. The Kofyar farming system as a whole is outlined, and the system of independent production is described within this context. The recent history of the Kofyar is sketched including, most importantly, their migration into an agricultural frontier, the adoption of yams as the primary cash crop, and the evolution of a complex set of mechanisms for mobilizing labor. The role of women in the cooperative labor network and in household labor is described and women's important contributions to all types of labor are linked to their access to labor for their own independent production. One of the basic arguments is that Kofyar women are prospering relative to other African women because their labor has been so crucial to the agriculture of the Kofyar both before and since the introduction of cash-cropping. The other basic argument for Kofyar women's relative success is that they are successfully exploiting the flexibility inherent in their farming system to maximize their own production. The use of intensive techniques such as intercropping and taking advantage of the flexibility in the timing of certain agricultural tasks on their major crops of groundnuts and yams are examples of this strategy. Women have, in other words, evolved a system of independent production which fits around rather than competes directly with male/household farming. The dissertation goes on to place women's independent farming within the broader social system by analyzing differences between women in marriage and childbearing statuses and histories. Regular differences in magnitude of independent production are found between women with contrasting social characteristics (e.g. age, marital status, divorce history, numbers of children). The portrait of the most prosperous woman is sketched. Kofyar women's activities are seen as an essential part of Kofyar development. The system in general has become more prosperous and women as important contributors to that prosperity are also benefiting as individuals from these changes.
8
Appel, Jenny. "Alleviating Poverty by Empowering Women the Role of Social Entrepreneurs /." St. Gallen, 2009. http://www.biblio.unisg.ch/org/biblio/edoc.nsf/wwwDisplayIdentifier/05609649002/$FILE/05609649002.pdf.
Full text
9
Booth, Gayle J. "Women Entrepreneurs : A Study of Fashion Designers of Great Britain." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.504786.
Full textAbstract:
Women represent around 30% of Great Britain's entrepreneurs. They constitute a dynamic and substantial force in the economy. Their rate of participation as entrepreneurs is significantly lower than that of men. Previous research has sought to understand the experiences of women entrepreneurs in order to explain this under representation. However, much of this work has consulted with women as entrepreneurs which own businesses across a variety of industries. Research into defined industries is limited and research on fashion designers specifically is virtually non-existent. This pioneering study bridges the academic fields of entrepreneurship and fashion design, exploring the experiences of British women entrepreneurs as designers in the fashion industry. The study pursued four important themes: development of the profiles of British women entrepreneurs as designers in the fashion industry; determination of their home and work past and current responsibilities; identification of the barriers encountered in childhood, education, professional and business development; and exploration of the impact of gender on their experiences as designers in the fashion industry. The methodology of the study employed in depth interviews with 30 women entrepreneurs of Great Britain who are/were fashion designers. The sample included those who were in early, mid, established and post business. The interviews were carried out face to face and over the telephone. Qualitative analysis of the data focused on exploring the differences and similarities of women entrepreneurs' experiences. The fmdings suggest that social, industrial and economic factors appear to marginalise British fashion designers from growing their business substantially and that they had encountered negative attitudes based on their gender. However, the entrepreneurs were found to turn such experiences into positive outcomes with many of them growing international labels playing important roles in a matrix of industries and the economy. Manufacturing and accessing fmance were the two main challenges faced. The research focus spanned the life course trajectory revealing how coping with adverse circumstances also increased an awareness of ethical business considerations. They possessed elements of social entrepreneurship that were paramount to business through design and/or philanthropic activities. On work and home responsibilities, 43% were childless the remainder revealed feelings of stress and grief due to separation from children. As children, they acted in non-traditional ways which were embraced by their fathers, whereas mothers tended to push their daughters into education. Paternal grandmothers were revealed to be entrepreneurs. Recommendations are made for individuals and organisations of ways in which the potential of British women fashion designer entrepreneurs could improve. The limitations of the study and implications for future research are also discussed.
10
Clarke, Jo-Anne M. "The integrative entrepreneur| A lifeworld study of women sustainability entrepreneurs." Thesis, Fielding Graduate University, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3700410.
Full textAbstract:
In response to social and environmental concerns, a new type of entrepreneur has recently entered the research literature on sustainable development in business (Hall, Daneke, & Lenox, 2010). Sustainability entrepreneurs are guided by a strong set of values that place environmental and social well-being before materialistic growth (Abrahamsson, 2007; Choi & Gray, 2008; Parrish & Foxon, 2009; Schaltegger & Wagner, 2011; Young & Tilley, 2006). For them, business success is about maintaining financial stability, while enhancing community and improving the health of our planet. This is reflected in their business design, processes, and work culture. Sustainability entrepreneurs are committed to making business decisions that reduce their carbon footprint, promote local or fair trade, support employee wellness, and give back to the community.
This social phenomenological study explores the lifeworld structures of six women in Calgary who are running small businesses based on sustainability principles. Drawing on the work of Alfred Schütz (1967, 1970a, 1970b; Schütz & Luckmann, 1973), it examines their typifications, stocks of knowledge, and motives, as well as notions of intersubjectivity and spatiality or lived space. From the findings, three Schützian puppets or personal ideal types are constructed to personify values of community, quality, connection, and environmental preservation. Ms. A.L.L. Green, Ms. Carin Relationships, and Ms. I.N. Tentional characterize aspects of the female sustainability entrepreneur that were identified by participants as central to their motives and actions. Together, they form a new general ideal type called the integrative entrepreneur. The integrative entrepreneur personifies the unique contributions of the women interviewed, and extends our understanding of sustainability entrepreneurship in meaningful ways.
11
Studholme, Sophie Alkhaled. "Women entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia : bargaining within a patriarchal society." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2013. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=201720.
Full textAbstract:
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and is known as the hub of Islam. It has been argued that the production of oil has a harmful effect on the economic and political status of women. Therefore, these tribal states are left with atypically strong patriarchal institutions where women are assigned to the domestic sphere. However, the international political pressure on Saudi Arabia to improve the position of women post the events of September the 11th 2001 has led the government to mobilise initiatives encouraging women into the public sphere. In addition, the depletion of oil resources has drawn the government’s attention to lessen its dependency on oil production and concentrate on private sector investment. Part of the government’s strategy has specifically focused on women, who hold much of the wealth in the country, to invest in the entrepreneurial sector in order to diversify the Saudi economy and provide employment to the rapidly increasing population. However, the laws continue to maintain women’s secondary position in society, as they are built on tribal customs and ideologies which treat women as ‘legal minors’ under the guardianship of her closest male relative. Furthermore, women are confined to jobs in the labour market which are deemed ‘suitable to their nature’, and thus, their entrepreneurial investment is constrained by gender-‐discriminating laws and placed within certain industries. Research on Saudi women’s experiences of participating in the labour force are scarce, as is the literature on Saudi female entrepreneurs .This thesis adopts a relational multilevel framework with the lens of ‘patriarchal connectivity’ in investigating the salient micro-‐ domestic, meso-‐societal and macro-‐ state opportunities and boundaries of 13 Saudi female entrepreneurs embedded in the patriarchal context. The research adopts a relational methodological approach, capitalising on qualitative in-‐depth interviews with the female entrepreneurs to explore their entrepreneurial experiences, motivations, and the boundaries and opportunities they face. Furthermore, the study investigates women’s negotiation strategies in overcoming the patriarchal boundaries. The findings highlight the women’s ‘emancipatory’ motivations behind entrepreneurship. They also illustrate the nature of the ‘permeable boundaries’ within and across the patriarchal domestic, societal and state domains, which meant the women were paradoxically confronted by ‘enabling’ opportunities and ‘constraining’ boundaries in each of the domains. However, whilst the women did exercise agency at some permeable boundaries, this agency remained within the confines of a prevailing patriarchal structure.
12
Knowles, Deborah. "Experiences of women entrepreneurs in East Anglia : a feminist perspective." Thesis, Anglia Ruskin University, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.325396.
Full text
13
Qali, Nombulelo. "Entrepreneurial resilience and success among women entrepreneurs in South Africa." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/80504.
Full textAbstract:
Entrepreneurial activity has been widely associated with the growth of the economy, based on its ability to create employment and alleviate poverty. Entrepreneurs often function in uncertain environments and, as a result, require resilience in order to succeed.
Research into entrepreneurial resilience, mainly in the field of positive psychology, is still at a preliminary stage. This study explores the relationship between resilience and success among women entrepreneurs in South Africa (SA). A narrative approach was employed to examine their journeys. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews of 16 respondents, across various provinces. Using qualitative thematic analysis, the researcher found that resilience is a precursor to entrepreneurial success.
The results indicate resilience comes from a variety of influences, including situational factors, life experiences as well as adversity, and is influenced by factors including resourcefulness, optimism and hardiness. This trait therefore empowers an entrepreneur the ability to bounce back from business adversities and become successful; where success has been regarded as making a social impact. This study makes recommendations for entrepreneurs, business training institutions and incubators, as well as policy makers.Mini Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MPhil
Unrestricted
14
Church, Maria Ana. "Brazilian Women Entrepreneurs: Exploring Strategies for Building Sustainable Business Organizations." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1402.
Full textAbstract:
Brazilians create an average of 1.2 million new registered enterprises annually, but some struggle to keep their business in operation. Thirty percent of the new ventures are unable to survive the first year, and 58% go out of business after the first 5 years. The goal of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of Brazilian women entrepreneurs concerning the strategies needed to build sustainable business organizations in Brazil. The individual concepts of sustainable development, sustainability, business strategies, and business models served as the theoretical foundations for the study. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 20 women entrepreneurs engaged in a range of sustainable or green businesses in Brazil. Moustakas' modified van Kaam analysis method was used to analyze the data. Major themes identified were sustainability trends, health concern solutions, environmental and social distress solutions, cooperatives, and institutional support. Results are significant to all small business communities and entrepreneurs of Brazil because of the high rate of business failures and the need for sustainable business practices. Findings indicated that implementing value-added business strategies through sustainability may increase the likelihood of continued business financial capability. The implications for positive social change are the potential benefits to small business entrepreneurs in the developing world. By learning and implementing the economic, social, and environmental principles of sustainability, entrepreneurs could increase revenue from improved business practices and extend the life of their companies.
15
Bach, Annette L. "Home-based Business Workspace: Satisfaction of North Dakota Women Entrepreneurs." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/29836.
Full textAbstract:
This study obtained data on North Dakota women entrepreneurs engaged in home-based businesses in order to provide a profile of this population. The study also determined what demographic characteristics and workspace conditions are related to satisfaction with the workspace.
The Women's Business Institute provided the database. The survey method was an opscan format mail questionnaire, which produced a 38% response rate. Chi-Square and Phi Coefficient analysis of 116 responses provided answers to the research questions. A telephone survey of non-respondents suggested that the responses were representative of the sample.
Testing of the model showed the following major findings:
(1) These North Dakota home-based businesses are small, part-time, developing businesses fulfilling personal as well as economic needs.
(2) The women entrepreneurs are well educated, middle-aged, and have no children under five years of age.
(3) Most of the businesses are not the major source of income for the household. Almost two-thirds of the entrpreneurs report that the business provides less than 20% of the total household income.
(4) Almost three-fourths of the sample expressed satisfaction with all five workspace variables: space, privacy, security, personal safety, and accessibility. The women entrepreneurs are committed to having a business in the home, as suggested by their designation for workspace and storage, and time spent in the workspace.
This sample showed that a business can be integrated into the home without decreasing satisfaction with housing. Also, this group of entrepreneurs may be an indicator of an emerging style of home-based business, "hobbypreneurs." They seek fulfillment of personal needs as well as economic needs, and spend most of the business time in the workspace versus away from home.Ph. D.
16
Graybill, Beth E. "Amish women, business sense Old Order women entrepreneurs in the Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, tourist marketplace /." College Park, Md.: University of Maryland, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1903/9245.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2008.Thesis research directed by: Dept. of American Studies. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.
17
Berozashvili, Alex. "Swedish Government’s targeted entrepreneurship policy to encourage entrepreneurship among women : An Evaluation of the program "Support Women Entrepreneurs 2007-2009"." Thesis, KTH, Industriell ekonomi och organisation (Avd.), 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-41553.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this paper is to examine the situation of female entrepreneurs in Sweden by exploring the Swedish governments adopted, targeted entrepreneurship policy on women entrepreneurs and evaluate the program "Support Women Entrepreneurs 2007-2009" implemented by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. In the program evaluation process qualitative data analyses methods are used. The aim of the evaluation is to measure how planned program/component parts were implemented in practice and whether set goals were accomplished. Overall results from the program evaluation should be considered as positive. The original program plan consisted of six parts, 20 goals, and 34 component parts. Out of the 34 component parts, 18 were acknowledged to have been accomplished, information was not available for 14 component parts and 2 component parts were found not to be accomplished. Due to the program’s complexity in execution, involving different executive layers on national, regional and municipal levels, evaluation process was quite demanding and still it could not represent the highest level of preciseness in evaluating component parts. The most actively executed and successfully implemented part of the program could be considered part four: Attitudes and role-models.
18
Khan, A. N. M. Shibly Noman. "Overcoming gender barriers : social capital, women entrepreneurs and development in Bangladesh /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2006. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe19557.pdf.
Full text
19
Koster, Winny. "Secret strategies women and abortion in Yoruba society, Nigeria /." [Amsterdam : Amsterdam : Aksant] ; Universiteit van Amsterdam [Host], 2003. http://dare.uva.nl/document/70507.
Full text
20
Benna, Indo Isa. "Motivation for higher education of women from northern Nigeria." Thesis, Durham University, 2000. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1164/.
Full text
21
Anigwe, Annette. "Perceptions of Women in Political Leadership Positions in Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2014. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/28.
Full textAbstract:
Researchers have demonstrated that the Nigerian government has failed to protect women's rights and advance gender equality in political leadership; consequently, women's political participation in Nigeria remains low. Although international laws grant women political participation rights, little is known about the struggles and experiences Nigerian women face in their quest to participate in the political life of Nigeria. The purpose of this basic interpretative qualitative study was to explore and describe the perceptions and experiences of Nigerian women on gender equality and other issues affecting their political leadership. The theoretical framework used was Eagly's social role theory and Ayman and Korabik's leadership categorization theory. The research questions focused on how women describe their participation in the political sector and their obstacles. Ten purposefully selected Nigerian women in Nigerian political leadership were interviewed. Data analysis included coding, categorizing, and analyzing themes. The resulting 7 themes were underrepresentation, gender inequality, male dominance, women's empowerment, spousal support/approval, financial support, and legislation reform. The findings indicated that women were still underrepresented in the political sector of government and lacked full political power as they strived for equality to become political leaders. The implications for positive social change are to educate the public, inform policy makers, and create legislative initiatives to support an equitable society in Nigeria in which women can participate fully in the political process.
22
Mapis, Gachomo Joanne. "The Dietary Decision-Making Process of Women in Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2020. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7696.
Full textAbstract:
Nigerians have been opting for a more processed Western diet. These changes in dietary choices have aligned with obesity and undernutrition, attributable to micronutrient deficiencies or malnutrition. Many scholars have presented varying intervention strategies ranging from consumption of a variety of foods containing the necessary micronutrients to food fortification. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the perceptions of women in an urban city in Nigeria on indigenous foods and Western dietary influences to determine social interactions, the consequence of the interactions, and the women’s current perceptions of food choices. The social-ecological model was used to explore the interaction between a woman and her environment. Women between the ages of 20 to 30 from the urban city of Jos, Nigeria, constituted the population of interest, and 12 women were chosen for the sample. From the in-depth interviews, a thematic analysis was employed to provide sociocontextual reasoning for changes in diet that have led to the loss of interest in traditional foods and cultures. This study found that Jos has a variety of foods, yet women choose the same staple foods to feed their families. Additionally, despite a marginal understanding of the health impact of diet, most women choose the convenience and palatability of Western options, citing cost as the rationale for choosing to cook staple Western-inspired meals at home. Understanding media, convenience, and cost can impact social change by enlightening communities on the interconnectedness of human health, cultures, and industrialization. Health care providers can monitor the outcomes of those who consume a variety of indigenous foods to see how such a practice could influence the overall health status of Nigerian families.
23
Awomolo, Abiodun Adegboye. "The political economy of market women in Western Nigeria." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 1998. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/601.
Full textAbstract:
This study examined the political- economy of market women paying close attention to the impact of governmental economic policies on women’s trade. Our analysis was based on the experiences of market women in western Nigeria as a case study. The study focused particularly on the wage and salary restructuring awards awards (Udoji) of the 1970S and the Structural Adjustment Policies (SAPs) of the late 1980s to present. On a secondary level, the study attempted theory-building of Africana feminism using the position of market women as the focus of analysis. To achieve its primary goal, the study presented and analyzed the following: (a) the impact of presumablY gender-neutral policies on women’s trade; (b) the plight of women traders in a gender-differentiated market arena; and (c) coping mechanisms market women utilize in light of the two preceeding conditions. To fulfill the secondary objective, an examination was conducted of feminist writings theoretizing the situation of African women vis-a-vis the reality of their existence. In this case study, triangulation was used to test the validity of the data collected. Secondary data was collected as well as primary data using a questionnaire and personal interviews. In addition, a videotape recording of markets was undertaken to conoborate survey findings. From our examination of the data, both primary and secondary, we found that market women were adversely impacted by SAPs conditionalities. Three major findings resulted from this study: (1) Stagnation of trade: the combination of devaluation of the naira, lack of money in circulation, ban on imports, high maintenance fees for market space, and non-payment of workers salaries by the government, aggravate consumer buying power and result in the stagnation of trade; (2) Market overcrowding: mass retrenchment brought women and men into the market who would normally not consider trade as an occupation. This situation in turn creates a reduction in individual sales, excessive competition for customers, and market overcrowding; and (3) Political alienation of market traders by the state: The current oppressive administration, fluctuation in leadership, arbitrary enforcement of policies, and police harassment have forced market women to assume a reactionary posture whereby they ignore state policies, attempt to dialogue with government officials, or stage marches and riots in order to demonstrate their dissatisfaction. Finally, our theoretical examination revealed the need for a socio-cultural construct to be integrated into the nexus of race, class, and gender within Africana feminism in order to make it a viable framework to discuss market women as a microcosm of women in developing countries.
24
Verwey, Ingrid Vivienne. "A comparative analysis between SA and USA women entrepreneurs in construction." Thesis, Pretoria : [s.n.], 2005. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11112005-112733.
Full text
25
Beutel, Monika. "Social transformation and personal transition : experiences of women entrepreneurs in Leipzig." Thesis, City University London, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.492353.
Full textAbstract:
The transformation to a capitalist market society and the unification of East and West Germany in 1990 created immense economic and social changes in East Germany (the former German Democratic Republic). Economic restructuring led to massive unemployment which in turn caused social dislocations including changes in the gender division of labour. Previously East German women had identified with their dual roles as both workers and mothers but market reforms combined with the extension of the Federal Republic of Germany's (West Germany's) legal and welfare regimes to East Germany profoundly affected women's work and employment opportunities. This study documents the main changes to gender relations that took place as a result of economic and institutional changes in East Germany and goes on to investigate in detail one set of responses, by looking at a small sample of women in Leipzig who chose selfemployment (or entrepreneurship) as a vehicle for reconstructing their identities in a way that both maintains what they value about their former real-socialist identities, and also firmly embraces what they value about the new market society - autonomy, control and choice. Most of the women took up self-employment out of necessity, against the backdrop of local employment conditions at the time. The research also examines some of the challenges that these women faced in starting their own businesses, and the role of family and other networks. East German women have been characterised as losers from unification; the move to self-employment was a means of limiting such loss and of preserving their identities as 'qualified workers' while adapting to the new market society.
26
Rönnberg, Louise, and Carl Tingström. "Possibilities and obstacles for Palestinian women entrepreneurs in agricultural micro enterprises." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Företagsekonomi, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-130524.
Full textAbstract:
Background: Women partaking in businesses as entrepreneurs is a field getting increased attention in Palestine. Women’s underutilized economic potential along with entrepreneurial activity as a key driver behind economic progress, make the field of women entrepreneurship in Palestine a matter of importance. The agricultural sector is one of the larger for Palestinian women employment, which is why it might attract aspiring entrepreneurs. With investments from Palestinian authorities as well as NGOs, directed towards developing Palestinian women entrepreneurship, one could argue that the opportunities for women to become entrepreneurs exist. But what is the opinion of the women entrepreneurs themselves regarding existing possibilities and obstacles?Purpose of the study: To examine the process for women entrepreneurs of establishing and running micro companies in the agricultural sector on the West Bank in order to highlight the possibilities and obstacles that they experience.Methodological framework: The study had a qualitative approach in which we conducted semi-structured interviewes with eleven women entrepreneurs, active in agriculture.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that women enter entrepreneurship out of necessity as well as reasons more connected to self fulfilment and grasping at possibly profitable business opportunities. Previous experience in agriculture affected both the willingness to start a business and proved helpful for the entrepreneurial success. Notable challenges were found in marketing, legal matters and the physically tiring work. Most of our respondents did not concentrate on developing the support activities connected to their businesses, directing more of their attention towards primary activities. Our respondents also made use of networks, spanning from private connections to professional contacts.
27
Bourne, Terri. "Researching the entrepreneurial journeys, barriers and drivers of women portfolio entrepreneurs." Thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, 2016. http://shura.shu.ac.uk/14638/.
Full textAbstract:
The thesis adapts a research agenda put forward by Ahl (2006) who stated that women were subordinated in entrepreneurship research, calling for new directions into approaches and methods. A qualitative, interpretivist methodology enabling flexibility was adopted in the research process to give women portfolio entrepreneurs a voice. In addition, a life history approach was used which recognises that people have ambiguities, uncertainties and problems that they solve on a daily basis, (Musson 1998). The literature review covers three main areas; business is male and gender differences, economic growth, and individualism, work and family, revealing that women in business are still presented as having shortcomings. Women entrepreneurs are regarded as second sex entrepreneurs with their trades located in ghettos of entrepreneurship and the devalued sphere of the home. Using Ahl’s article, specifically the section referring to men’s and women’s differences, a framework, The Underperformance PPP was developed, categorising the alleged shortcomings into three groups; personality, pre-set up and practice. Eleven North West women portfolio entrepreneurs were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and little evidence was found of this alleged underperformance. Based on these interviews, a new Positive Performance Plan was developed. There seems to be a mismatch between the government agenda of high growth (based on increasing staffing and turnover levels to measure success) and the portfolio women entrepreneurs’ preferred style of working, which could be a new model of intrinsic entrepreneurship, and due to this women may be missing out on courses and government funding. Findings show these women are working in a positive way. For example, by outsourcing their work they avoid employer responsibilities yet provide wealth in a different way. Also, by keeping their business small enough to self-fund, growing them organically and establishing new businesses to support the core business, they are able to build their portfolios.
28
Heath, William J. "Perceived educational needs of women entrepreneurs in a business incubator setting." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/39165.
Full textAbstract:
The focus of this study was to examine the past educational experiences women entrepreneurs had that related to the operation of their businesses in an incubator setting. The study also examined educational needs not adequately addressed for women entrepreneurs in this setting.
Data were gathered by participant interview methods using a qualitative research approach. Twenty subjects were selected for individual interviews. They were located through personal contact upon recommendation of the managers or executive directors of business incubator facilities. Interview questions addressed business, computer, oral and written communication, and general educational experiences related to their businesses as well as perceived educational needs. In addition, eight incubator managers where the subjects' businesses were located were also interviewed to determine their perceptions of the entrepreneurs' educational needs.
Demographic information was obtained from the subjects as to age, previous business experience, educational experiences, degrees earned, professional certification, and other education. Their previous occupations as related to their present business enterprises were also obtained.
Taped responses to the interview questions were transcribed, verified, and examined for similarities and differences. A profile of the 20 female entrepreneurs who had their businesses located in a business incubator facility emerged. They had a mean age of 43 years, had worked for a number of years before making the decision to go into their own businesses, and had diverse educational backgrounds ranging from high school graduation through the Ph.D. degree. Their business experiences varied widely.
A common concern of the 20 subjects interviewed was lack of computer knowledge and experience. This concern surfaced regardless of prior course work completed. Also, development of additional accounting, communication, and marketing skills emerged as educational needs. Course structure of available courses was a concern. Courses offered on an intensive basis were needed. Further, the interviewees felt that considerable time could be saved by having course work and seminars taught on-site at the incubator facility. Coursework geared to small businesses so that the material and information obtained would have a direct application to their endeavors was desired. In addition, having a computer center within the incubator facility was identified as needed by the female entrepreneurs.Ed. D.
29
Buyambo, Ntombentsha. "An enabling environment for women agri-entrepreneurs in the Tsitsikama area." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013755.
Full textAbstract:
Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of every nation. Most countries depend on agriculture and other industries to survive. Economies around the world experience difficulties. There are many countries that have the potential to stimulate their economic growth through agriculture. The untapped resources have the potential of providing food, jobs and increased financial stability. Many countries utilise their agricultural sector to grow their economy. The growth of unemployment in South Africa has a big impact on our economy. This has caused an increase in poverty and unemployment (Ukpere & Slabbert, 2009). Women’s role in agriculture and food security is critical, but there is still lack of visibility regarding their participation and contribution in agriculture and development in general. This has led to two forms of agriculture in South Africa; so-called subsistence farming in the communal areas and white commercial farming (Kwa, 2001). Most emerging farmers are on communal land where they share decisions and ownership is unsecured, which discourages investment and limits productivity (Farmer's weekly, 2012). The main objective of the research was to determine if the women in the Tsitsikamma (Eastern Cape, South Africa), area have knowledge and strategies to manage their agribusiness in order to create an enabling environment and be competitive in their farming businesses. The qualitative method was used to answer questions in order to understand people’s perceptions, perspectives and understanding of particular situations. It is based on the belief that the researcher’s ability to interpret and make sense of what he or she sees is critical for an understanding of any social phenomenon. In seeking to create an enabling environment, a qualitative analysis investigated this particular situation. The sample consisted of 25 out of a possible 30 women in the agriculture industry. A structured questionnaire was used and interviews were conducted with women involved in agriculture regardless of owning a farm. This study was based in the farming industry, particular farm women who are interested or involved in agribusiness in the Tsitsikamma region. The results of the questionnaire revealed key findings, which enabled the researcher to draw meaningful conclusions and recommendations. The findings have suggested that the women farmers can overcome the identified constraints affecting the opportunities to grow their farming businesses. Further empirical results indicated that they do not have any strategies in running their farming businesses. The study also highlights areas in agribusiness that should be improved.
30
Scott, Andrea Richards. "Understanding the Experiences of Growth-Oriented Women Entrepreneurs| A Portraiture Study." Thesis, The George Washington University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10786020.
Full textAbstract:
While women entrepreneurs have significantly contributed to the U.S. economy, their enterprises have been depicted as being smaller, having less profits, concentrating in low-profit sectors, and generating fewer jobs than their male counterparts (Blank et al., 2010; Hughes, Jennings, Brush, Carter, & Welter, 2012; Marlow, 2014; Minniti & Naude, 2010; U.S. Department of Commerce Economic and Statistics Administration, 2010). Thus, the portrayal of women and their ventures as disadvantage is prevalent in the women entrepreneurship literature and there is a need for research that presents a perspective that does not perpetuate this discourse (Marlow, 2014).
The purpose of this qualitative portraiture study is to understand the essence of U.S.-based, growth-oriented women entrepreneurs’ experiences in growing their businesses by centering women’s ways of knowing in the male normative environment of entrepreneurship. The study explores the following research question with two sub-questions: How do growth-oriented women entrepreneurs understand their experiences in growing their organizations within a male-normative environment of entrepreneurship? How do women entrepreneurs identify and use facilitators to grow their businesses? How do women entrepreneurs describe the experience of acquiring knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to grow their businesses?
An appreciative inquiry perspective, a key tenet of portraiture methodology that was selected for this study which is a blending of art and science (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997), guided the examination of growth-oriented women entrepreneurs’ experiences in this study. Rather than looking for the deficiency in the women entrepreneurs’ experiences, this perspective allowed a search for ‘the good’ (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997; Lawrence-Lightfoot, 2008). The ontology that guided this study was social constructivism (Creswell, 2013; Crotty, 1998; Guba & Lincoln, 1989) and the epistemology was based on women’s way of knowing (Belenky, Clinchy, Golbert, & Tarale, 1986).
The portraits of the three women entrepreneurs selected for this study were assembled into a gallery with their artifacts and stories organized and presented in a consistent way. My interpretation of each participant’s story was presented in a poetic form which depicted the essence of each woman entrepreneur’s experience in growing her businesses.
The findings of this study revealed the following six themes: women’s entrepreneurial experiences, perception of their entrepreneurial characteristics, entrepreneurial learning, entrepreneurial reflections on gender, entrepreneurial knowing, and entrepreneurial self as knower. Conclusions are presented on the experiences of women entrepreneurs’ growth within the normative environment of entrepreneurship, facilitators that women entrepreneurs use to grow their businesses, women entrepreneurs knowing along with implications for research and practice.
31
Philip, Tracey Lee-Ann. "Women entrepreneurs’ experiences using social capital in developing their manufacturing business." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/81679.
Full textAbstract:
The study aimed to explore women entrepreneurs’ experiences using social capital to develop their manufacturing businesses. Social capital has apparent benefits for developing women-owned businesses. The manufacturing sector has traditionally been male-dominated globally, therefore to promote inclusivity the need arose to explore the dynamics of social capital and its perceived benefits, to gain an insightful understanding of the value it might hold for both academics and business. Valuable insights were gained on the combination of creating and sustaining relationships, and social networking as influencers that impacts the accumulation of social capital. This research set out to discover the main drivers of social capital, obtain narratives regarding the barriers and enablers in accessing social networks. Deeper understanding was gained on how support structures act as resources to develop women-owned businesses. The study highlighted the need to promote cultural and societal transformation with social capital being a critical component to develop of women’s entrepreneurship.Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2021.
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted
32
Gandu, Yohanna Kagoro. "Oil enclave economy and sexual liaisons in Nigeria's Niger Delta region." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003106.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the intersection of oil enclave economy and the phenomenon of sexual liaisons in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. The particular focus of this thesis is on the extent to which oil enclavity contributes to the emergence of sexual liaisons between local women and expatriate oil workers. Despite the fact that the Nigerian oil industry has been subjected to considerable scholarly debate for over five decades, this aspect of the social dimension of oil has not received adequate scholarly attention. Gender-specific discourse has tended to focus more on women protest. Other aspects, such as gender-specific violence that women in the region have had to live with, are either ignored or poorly articulated. Picketing of oil platforms by protesting women is celebrated as signs that women are active in the struggle against oil Transnational Companies (TNCs). While women protest is a significant struggle against oil TNCs, it has the potential of blurring our intellectual focus on the specific challenges confronting women in the Niger Delta. This study shows that since the inauguration of the Willink Commission in 1957, national palliatives meant to alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta region have not been gender sensitive. A review of the 1957 Willink Commission and others that came after it shows that the Nigerian state is yet to address the peculiar problems that the oil industry has brought to the women folk in the region. The paradox is that while oil provides enormous wealth and means of patronage to the Nigerian state elite, the oil TNCs, and better paid expatriate oil workers, a large section of the local Oil Bearing Communities (OBCs), especially women and unemployed youth, are not only dispossessed but survive in an environment characterised by anxiety and misery. With limited survival alternatives, youths resort to violent protest including oil thefts and bunkering. Local women are also immersed in this debacle because some of them resort to sexual liaisons with economically empowered expatriate oil workers as an alternative means of survival. This study therefore shifts the focus to women by exploring the extent to which sexual liaison reflects the contradictions in the enclave oil economy. The study employed an enclave economy conceptual framework to demonstrate that oil extractive activities compromise and distort the local economies of OBCs. This situation compels local women to seek for alternative means of survival by entering into sexual liaisons with more financially privileged expatriate oil workers. The study reviewed relevant secondary documentary sources of data. Further, it employed primary data collection techniques which include in-depth interviews/life histories, ethnographic observations, focus group discussions, and visual sociology. Besides obtaining the social profile and challenges facing the women involved in sexual liaisons with expatriate oil workers, the study provides an outline of participants’ narratives on the different social and economic dimensions of the intersection of oil enclave economy and sexual liaisons. The study found that some of the women involved in sexual liaisons with expatriate oil workers have been abandoned with ‘fatherless’ children. Some of them have also been rejected by their immediate family members and, in some cases, by their community. The study also found that the phenomenon of sexual liaisons and the incidents of abandoned ‘fatherless’ children that result from the practice, has over the years been played out through local resentment against oil TNCs and their expatriate employees. This finding helps to fill the gap in narratives and to make sense of the civic revolt and deepening instability in the Niger Delta region.
33
McCord, Mary Alice. "Training needs of pre-venture female entrepreneurs." Virtual Press, 1994. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/917829.
Full textAbstract:
Few studies on female entrepreneurship have focused on preventure women and their training needs. This study used four years of data collected from a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in a large mid-western city. The information needs sought by pre-venture females were compared with those of women who were already business owners. The groups were compared to determine training need differences before and after seeing an SBDC counselor. Male clients also were included.Data were obtained from two sources: A Small Business Administration counseling request form to be completed before counseling, and a SBDC counseling form which is a record of items discussed during the counseling session. Of the usable surveys, 553 were female and 276 were male.The three information needs most requested by pre-venture women were: Information on SBDC services (including start-up information), sources of capital, and the business plan. In counseling sessions, the business plan was the most discussed topic. Educational opportunities were the second most discussed.The next six information needs were rated closely together: Sources of finance; legal structure; industry information; business license; business name; and tax information.Little difference was found between the requested needs of pre-venture women and women in business. A greater percentage of the women in business discussed assistance in marketing, record keeping, accounting, advertising, and financial analysis. Further, women in business required more detailed information than did pre-venture women.No difference was found between African-American and white women on the amount of time spent with a counselor. Significantly more African-American women requested information on the business plan, government procurement, and international trade than did white women No difference was found in rank order comparisons of requested training needs between the two groups.Significantly more males than females requested information on bidding, sources of finance, advertising, government procurement, accounting/record keeping, and personnel. Similar gender differences were found in topics discussed during counseling. These differences may be due to the type of business started rather than gender. Rank order comparisons of training needs requested by males and females were identical.More research needs to be done with pre-venture entrepreneurs. Follow-up studies need to identify those who did or did not actually start businesses and the determinants of their decision.Department of Educational Leadership
34
Xuan, Zhang, and Zhang Xuemei. "Influential factors and motivations for female entrepreneurs in China : A case study of twelve female entrepreneurs." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Företagsekonomiska institutionen, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-387948.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Background: Female entrepreneurship in China is a practice which scholars have explored severally in recent years. Just as many Asian countries, the role of Chinese women has been undermined for a longer period. However, the 20 th century marked a positive turn in Chinese culture. The rate of discrimination and seclusion of women from economic empowerment started reducing significantly. Today, Chinese women are struggling to compete effectively with their male counterparts in entrepreneurial sector. The purpose of having women empowerment on the market economy is to generate more income to the country. Also, the practice lessens the rate of unemployment and high rate of dependency in China. Hence, it is apparent that the entrepreneurial actions in China are motivated by a number of factors that are presented in the paper. Purpose: The primary aim of the study is to determine influential and motivational factors for female entrepreneurs in China. Methods: The research has employed a qualitative research approach to determine influential factors and motivating aspects of female entrepreneurship in China. Random sampling tactic has been chosen as the methodology to discover data of women that have succeeded in the country. This approach can help to analyze a broader population of women entrepreneurs in China. Meanwhile, a semi-structured interview was involved in collecting data so that first-hand and unbiased information is obtained from interviewees. Findings: From the study of the influential factors and motivation for female entrepreneurs in China, it has been noted that the process of entrepreneurship among the current female entrepreneurs in the country can be categorized as either passive or initiative. While looking at the passive entrepreneurship among the female entrepreneurs, it is noted that those people are driven by the daily needs of their families. On the other hand, initiative entrepreneurship relies much more on human capital and social capital. The zeal and motivation that they possess lead them to developing far-sighted enterprises, hence contributing to the economic development of the country.
35
Terry, Winnie Edward. "The Impact of Micro-Finance on Women Micro-Entrepreneurs in Temeke District, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1151607775.
Full text
36
Onubi, Ojochenemi Joy. "Maternal obesity in Nigeria : an exploratory study." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2016. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=230166.
Full textAbstract:
Background: Pregnancy is a trigger point for the development of obesity with maternal obesity being associated with significant adverse effects in the mother and child. Nigeria is experiencing a double burden of under- and over-nutrition with rising levels of obesity particularly in women. However, there is scarcity of data on maternal obesity in Nigeria and other African countries. Aims and Objectives: This thesis aimed at identifying crucial components of potential interventions for maternal obesity in Nigeria. The objectives were to assess the prevalence, effects and distribution of maternal obesity; assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of pregnant women and maternal healthcare providers and identify existing interventions for maternal obesity in Nigeria. Methodology: A systematic review and meta-analysis was initially conducted. Following this, a quantitative questionnaire survey of the KAP of pregnant women and a qualitative interview study of the KAP of Health Care Workers (HCW) were conducted in seven secondary and tertiary hospitals across Nigeria. Quantitative data was analysed with SPSS statistical software, while thematic analysis was conducted for qualitative data. Results: Twenty-nine studies included in the systematic review showed significant prevalence, socio-demographic associations, and adverse effects of maternal obesity on labour, maternal, and child outcomes in Africa. The questionnaire survey of 435 mothers revealed a maternal obesity prevalence of 17.9% among mothers who registered for antenatal care in the first trimester. Mothers had insufficient knowledge of the causes, complications, and safe ways to manage maternal obesity. However, majority felt that excess gestational weight gain be avoided and some practiced weight management during pregnancy. For the qualitative study, four main themes were identified: 'Concerns about obesity in pregnancy', 'Barriers to care for obese pregnant women', 'Practice of care for obese pregnant women', and 'Improving care for obese pregnant women'. Conclusions: Culturally adaptable/sensitive interventions should be developed for the management of obese pregnant women in Africa. Education and training of mothers and health care workers, and provision of guidelines are some of the components of potential interventions in Nigeria.
37
Rangan, Usha Carleton University Dissertation International Affairs. "Women and work: the Hausa and the Yoruba of Nigeria." Ottawa, 1985.
Find full text
38
Callaway, Helen. "European women with the Colonial Service in Nigeria, 1900-1960." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.670408.
Full text
39
Chukwuorji, Perpetual Chinelo. "Contribution to a Study on Women Political Participation in Nigeria." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/21830.
Full textAbstract:
Dissertação de Mestrado em Estudos AfricanosDissertation for obtaining a Master's degree in African Studies
Women political participation in Nigeria politics has been an issue of concern in the Nigerian society at large because women are poorly represented in both elective and appointment positions in the political system. The level of women’s involvement in their nation’s political activities is a topic that most academic researchers tend to discuss with rapt attention and concern. This Paper examined and analysed the efforts and challenges Nigerian women are experiencing in the political space. It went further to look into the participation of women in the pre-colonial, postcolonial and contemporary Nigerian politics. It also discussed the low participation of these women in politics and the social, political, cultural and financial challenges they encounter in their quest to participate or contest in leadership positions. Consequently, the quest to participate in political activities ought to be a voluntary act and not gender based. Citizens of every country, irrespective of their gender, social class or tribe should be able to exercise their civic rights without facing discrimination or being relegated to the background, especially in a democratic country like Nigeria where political participating is believed to be ‘‘ free zoned ’’ for all qualified citizens regardless of their gender. However, the reverse seems to be the case in Nigerian political system. It also discussed the gender inequality in the country’s political system which could be linked to certain cultural and traditional practices that have systematically conditioned and treated women as being inferior to their male counterparts. These ‘‘ practices ’’ could as well be perceived as some of the major factors obstructing the women folks from effectively participating in Nigerian politics. Finally, the paper pointed out some factors that hinder Nigerian women from actively participating in politics, hence provided some recommendations and measures that could be adopted to enhance the re-integration of women in the Nigerian political system.
A participação de mulheres na política da Nigéria tem sido questionada por setores socais, porque as mulheres estão mal representadas em cargos eletivos e nomeados no sistema político nigeriano. Portanto, o nível de envolvimento das mulheres em atividades políticas na Nigéria é um tópico que a maioria de pesquisadores acadêmicos tende a discutir com muita atenção e preocupação. No presente estudo trata-se de uma análise e uma reflexão acerca dos esforços e desafios que as mulheres nigerianas estão enfrentando no espaço político, bem como, interessa-se examinar a presença de mulheres na política nigeriana pré-colonial, pós-colonial e contemporânea. Discute-se, ainda, a baixa participação das mulheres nigerianas na política e os desafios sociais, políticos, culturais e financeiros que elas encontram ao pretenderem disputar cargos de liderança. Desta forma, a busca pela participação em atividades políticas deve ser um ato voluntário e não de gênero. Cidadãos de todos os países, independentemente do gênero, classe social ou tribo, devem exercer seus direitos cívicos sem sofrem quaisquer discriminações ou estarem relegados a segundo plano. Entretanto, parece suceder o oposto no sistema político nigeriano, pois apesar de ser uma democracia em que a participação política é considerada “free zoned” e todos possuem a qualidade de cidadãos. A desigualdade de gênero no sistema político nigeriano pode estar ligada a certas práticas culturais e tradicionais que sistematicamente condicionaram e trataram as mulheres como inferiores aos homens. Estas ‘‘práticas’’ também podem ser percebidas como alguns dos principais fatores que impedem as mulheres de participarem efetivamente da política nigeriana. Finalmente, o estudo aponta alguns fatores que impedem as mulheres nigerianas de participarem ativamente da política e além de fornecer recomendações e medidas que podem ser adotadas no sentindo de melhorar a reintegração das mulheres no sistema político daquele país.
N/A
40
Munny, Kamrun, and Zhang Weiyu. "The Role of Micro-credit for women entrepreneurs: The Case of Bangladesh." Thesis, Högskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för ekonomi, 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-12565.
Full textAbstract:
Title: The Role of Micro-credit for women entrepreneurs Level: Second Cycle Department of Business and Economic Studies University of Gavle 801 76 Gävle Sweden Telephone: (+46) 26 64 85 00 Fax: (+46) 26 64 85 89 Web site: http://www.hig.se Authors: Kamrun Nahar Munny & Zang weiyu. Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Maria Fregidou-Malama Dept. of Business and Economic Studies Phone: +46 26-648687 Mobile: +46 706 201 601 Email: mma@hig.se Date: May 23, 2011 Aim/purpose: The aim of the study is to explore the factors behind women entrepreneurship in Bangladesh and identify the role of microcredit to expand and continue the entrepreneurial work. Method: This research study was conducted by using questionnaires for collecting primary data. The study uses a qualitative research approach to analyse the empirical findings. Result: The result of the study is to find out to what extent entrepreneurial skills and factors influence women entrepreneurs and help the growth of their business enterprises. At the same time the study also shows that a microcredit facility plays a vital role for business expansion and continuing of the entrepreneurial work. The study also identifies the role of microcredit and its impact on women entrepreneurs and their business expansion. Suggestions for future research: The study revealed additional research topics that will be helpful for further investigation in the same field. In doing further research, this study also suggests a few options that could bring new information to the entrepreneurial world. These are: Older and younger women - attitudes toward entrepreneurship. Young women entrepreneurial opportunity - their characteristics and survival strategies. Microcredit and Social business growth and survival strategies. Contribution: While the existing knowledge shows that credit facilities helped women start their businesses and made them entrepreneurs, this study shows that not only credit facilities but also entrepreneurial skills and factors force them to become entrepreneurs. This study added new knowledge for business women, that starting a new business is not fully dependent on money/credit facilities but also entrepreneurial factors and skills which drive them to be entrepreneurs. Key words: Women Entrepreneur, Microcredit, Bangladesh, Entrepreneurial thought, Network.
41
Foster, Delores Duncan. "Women Entrepreneurs: Keys to Successful Business Development and Sustainability Beyond Five Years." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2816.
Full textAbstract:
Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial populations, accounting for 8 million of the 28 million small businesses in the United States. Small businesses fail at a rate of 55% by the 5th year of operation and women, who own over 30% of all small businesses, contribute significantly to the 55% small business failure rate. Using Schumpeter's framework, this single exploratory case study investigated how women entrepreneurial small business owners use strategies to sustain their business operation beyond 5 years. A purposeful sample identified 2 women salon small business owners located in the Macon, Georgia metro area. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Three emergent themes were identified using Yin's 5 step analytic strategy approach: motivation for business start-ups, which included the motivation, skills, and education needed for business sustainability; success factors, which included innovation and the overall business environment, and employee and customer satisfaction which included customer and human relations. The impact of these practices can enhance social change by contributing to the sustainability and profitability of the organization which can enhance the economic security of the family, community, and the nation. New knowledge from this study could impact entrepreneurship success strategies and increase the number of women-owned businesses beyond the first 5 years of operation.
42
Taqi, Najma. "The challenges facing women entrepreneurs : a study on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries." Thesis, Brunel University, 2016. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/13538.
Full textAbstract:
Women’s entrepreneurship is a much touted topic of research with researchers competing to contribute to the growing body of knowledge. Although literature is replete with articles and opinions on the various aspects concerning women’s entrepreneurship, still more needs to be done. Much of the research produced until now has focused on specific contexts like western countries and results obtained are either not conclusive or generalizable and in many cases incomplete. Research on women’s entrepreneurship conducted in the contexts of developing nations appears to be grossly inadequate, bordering almost on a neglected category. Specifically, research on women’s entrepreneurship conducted in the context of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries is almost nil except for a few sporadic articles here and there. How women entrepreneurs have fared in the GCC countries is not clear and there is a need to know what their current status is, how they have performed and what challenges contribute to their lack of progress. There is a huge gap in the literature in this area and this research has made some modest contributions to remove this gap partially. The literature review shows that a number of challenges affect women entrepreneurs’ success. Although the research output used in this research was derived from studies conducted largely in a western context, some of the factors grounded in theories like institutional theory were found to be applicable to the context of women entrepreneurs in the GCC. Five of these challenges, namely lack of adequate training and education; legal constraints; cultural constraints and a lack of social support; lack of access to financial resources; and work–family interface have been investigated in this research using a conceptual model and survey questionnaire. Women entrepreneurs in three GCC countries, namely Kingdom of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were chosen for studying the phenomenon of women’s entrepreneurial involvement in business activities. A random sampling method was used. Hypotheses were developed and verified and the five challenges were found through rigorous statistical tests to significantly affect the involvement of women entrepreneurs in business activity in GCC countries. The challenges selected were part of a larger set of challenges, not all of which could be investigated due to paucity of time, resources and the large territory comprising three nations in the GCC region. In addition, an exploratory study using interviews was conducted to identify specific challenges that affect women entrepreneurs in the GCC countries. Three additional challenges, namely intellectual property; patronage and connections; and lengthy regulatory procedures were revealed through this. Mixed method research was used which led to triangulation of the results obtained from analysing data gathered through questionnaire survey and interview. The challenges that emerged from the analysis of the questionnaire survey and interviews resulted in the development of a new and comprehensive model that combined the challenges tested through the empirical model and those derived from interviews. The findings from the analysis indicated that much needs to be done to enable women entrepreneurs involved in business activities in the GCC region to succeed. Many challenges need to be tackled. The findings clearly point out that the challenges are responsible for the low percentage (around 2%) of business activities attributable to women-owned enterprises in the GCC countries. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge in the area of women’s entrepreneurship in the specific context of the GCC region. The research outcomes clearly indicate that specific challenges can be tackled to improve the involvement of business activities of women entrepreneurs in the GCC region. Since the topic of involvement of women entrepreneurs in business activities in the context of GCC countries is not well investigated, the research outcomes of this research add to the current knowledge from a contextual point of view. In addition, the research has expanded the application of institutional theory to understand about the various challenges that affect involvement of women entrepreneurs in business activities in the context of GCC and contributed theoretically in terms of developing a new framework that could be used to examine how the challenges could be tackled. Methodologically, the research has shown how a mixed method research can be used to combine the outcome of survey research with interviews. Practical implications of the research outcomes show that the framework developed in this research could be adopted in practice by women entrepreneurs themselves, as well as various institutions and organizations that are concerned with women entrepreneurs, for improving the involvement of women entrepreneurs in business activities in the context of the GCC. Although the limitations of this research have been highlighted, how to overcome those limitations through future research has been explained. Thus, overall, this research effort is expected to stimulate further discussion and debate with regard to the involvement of women in business activities in the GCC and act as some kind of a basis for initiating steps to improve the position of women entrepreneurs involved in business activities in the GCC and perhaps in other regions surrounding the GCC countries.
43
Gohar, Madiha. "Household institution and Muslim women entrepreneurship : an exploration of the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs in Peshawar, Pakistan." Thesis, University of Essex, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.573699.
Full textAbstract:
Families and female owned enterprises are inextricably intertwined, resulting from both widely-observed factors that constrain female entrepreneurship worldwide and context-specific factors. However, as far as the contextual factors are concerned, the impact on female entrepreneurship of the household as an institution in its interaction with the wider environment remains an under-researched topic. This research aims to explore the 'lived experiences' of women entrepreneurs in the household context, in Peshawar, Pakistan, from an institutional perspective. This research sets out to explore three interrelated questions: How do the institutional dynamics (norms and values) of the household shape the entrepreneurial inclination of women? How do inter and intra household relationships influence women's ability to create venture? And to what extent are the growth aspirations of women entrepreneurs immersed and affected by the household and wider culture? The research framework developed for an investigation into these questions is centred on an exploration of multi-level embeddedness of women's entrepreneurial actions through an institutional theory lens. This research adopts a qualitative research design informed by the interpretivist paradigm that concerns the emergent nature of a phenomenon embedded in the entrepreneurial process. Data were collected from a sample of 35 women entrepreneurs through in-depth interviews and were thematically analysed to reach to the 'essence' of the entrepreneurs' 'lived experiences'. Findings reveal that the intricate interplay of social class, family system and the life cycle stage of women shape the relational and structural embeddedness and entrepreneurial actions. More specifically, this research finds that women's intentions to enterprise are deeply rooted in the family's perception of desirability of the entrepreneurial behaviour, that women's ability to 'negotiate' inter and intra-household gender-power dynamics prove to be one of the critical antecedents of venture creation, and that synchronisation of personal preferences with familial ~d social norms shapes growth aspirations and processes of women entrepreneurs in Peshawar.
44
Ojior, Omoh Tsatsaku. "African women and political development: A case study of Etsako women in Edo State of Nigeria." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2000. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/3313.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation draws attention to covert efforts directed at African women that seek to negatively affect the family structure and the historic cultural value systems, thereby destabilizing the African family setting, and destroying the society through a process of depopulation in Etsako in Edo State, and by extension, Nigeria and Africa. The researcher employed the African philosophy of politics and government as the conceptual framework most suitable for this research. The American woman’s knowledge of the African woman was investigated. Equally, the African woman was examined to determine what she thinks of her womanhood role. The findings established that the struggle for political development of the African woman is pregnant with meaning, as it is a vital aspect of some of the covert and overt influence of the West directed at the Africans’ root of existence. Other finding include the following: 1. That the Western World has targeted the entire population of Etsako, Nigeria and Africa by an extension, for a political resocialization that is alien to the people of Africa. 2. That the American woman has limited knowledge of the African woman. 3. That in the effort to adversely influence the African woman, some African American women of the intelligentsia are unknowingly being used to facilitate some of the covert efforts. 4. That the African women appreciates her womanhood roles in the home front and her external relations; and, 5.that the African woman’s political efficacy, from a Western political framework, in the African political systems, will destroy the traditional family structure, the cultural and moral basis of the people. This will further destroy the historic African cultural value systems and, eventually lead to a moral void and the collapse of these societies. Deviant behavior and deliberate depopulation will trigger the collapse. The study, therefore, recommends among other things that to prevent such cultural destabilization, the Etsako people and possibly, Nigeria need to educate and politically socialize their women, from an African socio-cultural political framework. This is a major way by which Etsako and Africa by extension will command Western political respect.
45
Degge, Hannah Mafo. "Experiences of women with obstetric fistula in Nigeria : a narrative inquiry." Thesis, University of Hull, 2018. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:16588.
Full textAbstract:
Obstetric Fistula is an abnormal opening between the vagina and rectum resulting from prolonged and obstructed labour. It occurs mostly in developing countries and is a neglected maternal health issue in Nigeria. Women’s experiences of living with fistula often reflect gender inequities. This study explored how women attending a reintegration service described their experiences of living with fistula. Using narrative inquiry methodology, 15 women (treated and rehabilitated) were interviewed. Data were analysed using the core story creation and emplotment method of narrative analysis. A reconstructed narrative provided plot headings of ‘fistula ordeal, treatment process, and returning to life’. Fistula formation was linked to the influence of others, geographical remoteness and transport and poor health systems. Fistula survivors and families facilitated access to treatment; aided to cope with incontinence that triggered stigma issues. Negative identity changes through incontinence were: ‘Leaking’ identity, ‘Masu yoyon fitsari’ (the leakers of urine identity), and ‘spoiled’ identity. Attending the repair centre conferred hope and relief through mutual survivors (‘Masu yoyon fitsari’) support. ‘Spoiled’ identity reflected the challenges of the ‘leaking’ identity in the face of ‘failings’ as a woman with respect to sexual and reproductive responsibilities. Reversing the negative identities was pivotal in the women’s resilience in seeking a cure. The ‘improved’ identity achieved after fistula repair and rehabilitation provided continence control and improved financial status. This research is the first known comprehensive empirical study of the experiences of treated and rehabilitated obstetric fistula survivors in Nigeria. The prevalence of fistula in Nigeria reflects inequitable distribution of health care compounded by socio-cultural practices. This research is the first application to women’s health in the African context using Frank’s narrative typology. The study contributes to the empirical evidence of women’s pathway through developing fistula, to treatment, and rehabilitation into family and community life in Nigeria.
46
Ojinta, Roseline Iruoma. "Barriers to Women Leadership of Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6081.
Full textAbstract:
Management literature lacks a deeper understanding of barriers to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) leadership among women entrepreneurs in Nigeria focusing on women leaders' daily business experiences, their agency, and their entrepreneurial context. Women in Nigeria seeking promotion to leadership roles in SMEs continue to look for answers on how to surmount the multiple barriers hampering their leadership aspirations. To address this need, this study was designed to explore how women entrepreneurs in Nigeria describe barriers to SME leadership through narratives about their daily business experiences, their agency, and their entrepreneurial context. The women's entrepreneurial development in Nigeria, the Nigerian women's entrepreneurial leadership style, and the agentic behavior of women leaders provided the conceptual framework for this work. A qualitative narrative inquiry method was adopted, and data were gathered through face-to-face semistructured interviews. The participants were a purposeful sample of 10 Nigerian women entrepreneurial leaders over the age of 30. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five thematic categories emerged and were used to answer the research question. Study findings showed that Nigerian women entrepreneurial leaders face challenges due to family, gender, and patriarchal attitudes of the culture. The study shows the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of these courageous and resilient Nigerian women entrepreneurial leaders. Positive social change implications include providing training, mentoring programs, and information to guide, empower, and equip upcoming women entrepreneurial leaders to avert challenges in the future.
47
Oha, Augustina. "Impediments of Self-Managed Type 2 Diabetes in Mgbidi Women, Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4879.
Full textAbstract:
Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia that affects fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism. Researchers have identified that for individuals with Type 2 diabetes, staying on interventions for diabetes self-management is sometimes difficult and challenging. It is an increasing public health concern, especially in certain minority populations and in many developing and developed nations. This is especially true for the population of women 40 years and older in Mgbidi, Nigeria. In the Enugu State of Nigeria, women bear most of the burden of Type 2 diabetes when compared to the males in the state. This study explored and evaluated the impediments to self-managed Type 2 diabetes among Mgbidi women in the Enugu State of Nigeria, West Africa, using a qualitative phenomenological approach. The concept of impediments influencing cultural behavior was used as the guiding framework. The participants were a group of 9 women 40 years and older who live with Type 2 diabetes. Face-to-face in-depth structured and unstructured interviews were used for the data collection. The responses of the participants were recorded using a tape recorder with their consent. Their responses were analyzed using aspects of Hycner's and Colaizzi's approach for analyzing phenomenological data. The result of this study supported and expanded on the findings of the current literature review. Individual and social challenges and barriers came to light; such as lack of or non-functioning care centers, lack of diabetes related education, and misconceptions like ignorance, social support and medications behaviors. The use of the concept of impediments influencing culturally sensitive self-management behavior of type 2 Diabetes strengthened the study. The findings could help to enhance cultural sensitive diabetes education for this population and other populations who have diabetes in this community.
48
Mitchell, Janet Wolstenholme. "Family demands and small business, a study of women entrepreneurs in Guelph, Ontario." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/MQ61932.pdf.
Full text
49
Mahmood, Samia. "Access to finance and the role of microfinance for women entrepreneurs in Pakistan." Thesis, Birmingham City University, 2013. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.576980.
Full textAbstract:
Microfinance is considered to be a promising solution for poverty reduction and entrepreneurship development in the developing as well as developed economies. The central argument of the thesis is that microfinance services to poor entrepreneurial women helps in the development of their enterprise and entrepreneurial abilities. The thesis also investigates the role of microfinance in women’s economic empowerment, well-being of the family and further access to finance from commercial banks. The study is guided by the current state of knowledge and previous research on the impact of microfinance on women’s development. This empirical study is based on 300 questionnaire responses from women borrowers from microfinance institutions. The findings are triangulated with 50 interviews from women entrepreneurs and 14 interviews from loan officers and heads of microfinance providers to gain a deeper insight into finance constraints on women in Pakistan and to seek the lenders’ point of view. The findings suggest that women micro entrepreneurs can only access microfinance; and commercial bank loans are unavailable to them due to the lack of track record and collateral. Findings suggest that the injection of an optimal size of microcredit in female enterprises with training and mentoring facilities improves the profit of enterprise; this enhances the contribution to the household income that increases family welfare. The outcome on the well-being of the family is the same whether the loan is used for business or consumption resulting in the conclusion that the fungibility of the loan also benefits women borrowers. The argument that microfinance programme contributed to the development of entrepreneurial skills is not well supported by the empirical findings. Finally, evidence shows that the objectives of female economic empowerment and entrepreneurship are attained by those microfinance schemes that provide formal training, saving facilities and social benefits with credit in the package. The analysis discloses the issue of multi-borrowing in the semi urban areas of Punjab where there is a concentration of microfinance institutions with no centralised database of borrowers. These empirical results contribute to the wider microfinance literature by studying the relatively less researched developing economy of Pakistan. The study makes a theoretical and methodological contribution to the study of microfinance.
50
Naser, Muhammad Abu. "Microfinance, poverty alleviation & women entrepreneurs in the Bangladeshi community : rhetoric and realities." Thesis, De Montfort University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2086/16549.
Full textAbstract:
The subject of this study developed from a personal interest in the financial crisis of developing countries. The study develops, extends and contributes to the existing knowledge about microfinance in general and Bangladesh in particular, and raises ethical considerations for the industry. The objective of this thesis is to critically investigate and evaluate the realities of micro lending in Bangladesh. In particular it appraises the costs and benefits from the perspective of a) the user b) the lender and c) the government. The thesis also sheds some light on UK based Bangladeshi small-scale entrepreneurs and their microfinance-based ventures. This investigation utilises quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, including focus groups, semistructured interviews and questionnaires. Since the 1970s microfinance has developed into a mainstream approach to poverty alleviation in the developing world. It has developed its credentials in the academic field, has been utilised as strategy by banks and has been given the backing of world institutions like the IMF and the World Bank. The approach has become widespread as an acceptable approach and set of tools to address the issue of poverty amongst the poor. However, this thesis argues that despite the rhetoric and hype surrounding microfinance as a novel system of lending to alleviate poverty and enhance opportunity for the poor, it fails to meet its objectives. The research finds that the reality of micro credit, contrary to its stated purposes, was to lock small-scale entrepreneurs into greater debt. Furthermore, the field research found that women were the primary recipients and users of microfinance. The thesis does not take issue with the theoretical models and normative objectives of micro finance which are, arguably, necessary, desirable and possible. This research concludes, however, that the reality and practice is not only at odds with theory but is contrary to the normative objectives of the rhetoric of microfinance. For instance, while people in extreme poverty in Bangladesh can gain access to microfinance to deal with emergency situations, it does not necessarily advance entrepreneurial activity.