Home Features Mastermind Videos About Advertise Blog Network Contact
   

Have A Suggestion?
Toronto Salsa Classes / Toronto Salsa Lessons Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Have A Suggestion?

Featured Ebook


ebook Famous Entrepreneurs - Modern Empire Builders


Featured Ebook

More Evan Carmichael
Have A Suggestion?

Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell

6.1 The informal sector: Gender Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa 2007

 
African Accounts - Meet The Authors
G Kofi , Annansi Chronicles G Kofi Annan
Annansi Chronicles
Microfinance , Resource Microfinance Gateway
Resource
World , Resource World Economic Forum
Resource
Jabu Bags , Profile Jabu Bags
Profile
African Accounts - Meet The Authors
6.1 The informal sector: Gender Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa 2007
   

Entrepreneurs—male or female—constitute a very small percentage of the population, according to household survey data. Almost everywhere, less than 1 percent of all women of working age (15 to 65 years old) are “employers”—that is, women who own a business in which they employ hired labor. In Africa, most working women are not “formal” entrepreneurs but are rather self-employed and own-account workers in the informal sector.

The informal sector is particularly important in Africa, and is often an entry point for broadening participation in the private sector. International Labour Organization (ILO) data indicate that the informal sector represents 48 percent of nonagricultural employment in North Africa, and 72 percent of nonagricultural employment in sub-Saharan Africa.19 Informal employment is generally a larger source of employment for women, though not in North Africa.

For example, the recently completed Gender and Growth Assessment (GGA) for Tanzania confirmed the importance of the informal sector in the economy, noting that the vast majority of businesses in the country are outside the formal legal system.

It is estimated that the number of women entrepreneurs ranges from 730,000 to 1.2 million, and are particularly found in the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME)

sector where they make up 43 percent of the total.

Barriers to the formalization of a business—particularly lengthy and complex business registration, incorporation, and licensing practices—have a disproportionately negative effect on women, in some cases making it impossible for them to formalize their businesses.20

Women’s participation in the informal economy may help in understanding their participation in the formal sector. It has been argued, for example, that women running informal enterprises value the higher flexibility offered by the informal sector.This is confirmed by women entrepreneurs in both Kenya and Tanzania.21 One of the important reasons that women may prefer the flexibility of informal arrangements is that this flexibility makes it easier for women to manage their “double workday.” Because women usually have to assume by far the greater burden of domestic tasks, as revealed in time allocation data in Africa, their capacity to engage in economic, including entrepreneurial, activity is much more constrained.22 Moreover, the boundary between economic and household activity is less well drawn in Africa than in other regions,23 and conventional labor force data capture a much more limited share of women’s total workload than men’s.

This additional workload means that women can essentially carry out economic activities only in conjunction with or after fulfilling their domestic responsibilities.This may help to explain why, as indicated earlier, women are more likely to be involved in family enterprises that are more compatible with combining both domestic and economic activity. To learn more about this author, visit World Economic Forum's Website.

Like this article? Share it with your friends
[Get Copyright Permissions] E-Mail | Print | More  


Related Articles Related Articles
1.0 Overview: Gender Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa, 2007
  An appreciation of gender issues is important when considering strategies to improve Africa’s competitiveness in the world and ways to promote private-sector development.There are three main reasons why gender m...
18.0 Conclusion: Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in Africa
  Ultimately, the future of entrepreneurship in Africa must be in the hands of the Africans themselves.
6.0 The broader context: Gender Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa, 2007
  Although the focus on formal sector entrepreneurs sheds light on a particular, if small, facet of entrepreneurial activity, it is important to bear in mind both the wider context in which such activity occurs in ...
Why should Venture Capitalists invest in SME's in Africa?
  Africa is at the dawn of a new renaissance, if you want a high return on your capital, you should include Africa in your portfolio. I'm not only going to invest in Africa because I'm African, but because this is the...
6.1 The informal sector: Gender Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Africa 2007
  Entrepreneurs—male or female—constitute a very small percentage of the population, according to household survey data. Almost everywhere, less than 1 percent of all women of working age (15 to 65 years old) are ...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Kiva Kiva
Re: Non-profit Organizations Re: Non-profit Organizations
Looking for business partners and mentors. Looking for business partners and mentors.
Re: New top Banner - my feedback Re: New top Banner - my feedback
SEO forum category? SEO forum category?
April Update: EvanCarmichael.com vs. Entrepreneur.com April Update: EvanCarmichael.com vs. Entrepreneur.com
Evancarmichael.com vs. entrepreneur.com Evancarmichael.com vs. entrepreneur.com
Ladies Who Launch book party Ladies Who Launch book party

 
About the Author


World Economic Forum
(Visit World's Website)
The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. The World Economic Forum is under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Government.
Have A Suggestion?

View Author's Video
Become An Author

Free Downloads


World Economic Forum's

Complete
List Of
African-Accounts
Articles


First Name
Last Name
Email
 
If you enjoyed this article, get World Economic Forum's Complete List of African-Accounts Articles For FREE!
Become An Author