아프리카ㆍ중동

This analysis points to a host of significant challenges facing women to become SME owners in the region. These include women’s multiple burden, legal and cultural barriers, lack of access to training and business related support, limited access to property and credit, absence of effective social networks, and problems associated to economic infrastructure.

They can be summarized as follows:

1. While in North Africa (NA) there are no direct laws preventing women to own businesses and the property rights under marriage are even-handed, many legal rules emanating from tradition or civil and religious codes restrict women’s asset accumulation and economic and financial activity.

2. Traditional social and cultural norms and perceptions reinforce the constraints on women’s employment and entrepreneurship.

3. Formal education plays a key role in enabling women to seek employment and engage in entrepreneurship. NA countries have had some achievements in this regard, but the educational attainment so far has provided more impetus for women to seek more part-time or full-time employment and engage less in self-employment or firm ownership.

4. Governance deficiencies tend to affect entrepreneurship negatively, much more in the case of SMEs than large firms and more when the principal owner is a woman than a man.

5. Government policies and regulations that facilitate flexibility in marketplace and work environment are important for women’s participation.

6. Lack of adequate access to finance and business networks is a major constraint on NA women’s entrepreneurship, especially SME formation. Reliance on family and friends networks limits the size of firms generally and acts as a major barrier for establishment of SMEs by women.

7. Women’s role as primary family caregivers is major barrier to their market participation as workers and employers. This is the case in NA no less than other developing countries. Support for maternity and provision of childcare, especially through public channels, could help reduce this burden.

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