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• W2401164502 abstract "Although (75%) of women who move from rural areas to urban areas engage in small businesses, most of these small businesses never grow due to problems related to patriarchal structures. Context, non-competitive networking, and experiential learning are necessary to negotiate patriarchy for Botswana women’s business success. Introduction In Botswana an increasing number of women migrate from the rural areas to urban areas due to economic hardships in the rural areas that are characterized by poverty and lack of employment opportunities. Although most (75%) of those engaged in the unregulated sector are women, a majority of these businesses never grow (Daniels, 1990). They either fail completely or remain at the initial stage of occasional street vending. Mead (1994) found that in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe most enterprises that started with 1-4 workers never expanded; further less than 1% employ ten workers. Research elsewhere and in the region (Nattrass, 1990) suggest that this situation could be explained by problems related to patriarchal structures, colonial experiences, apartheid, and the international division of labor. In spite of the barriers research elsewhere and in Botswana shows that a small number of women have been able to develop enterprises that have demonstrated remarkable growth. So we know that some women are successful in micro-enterprises but to date there is no research detailing the process in terms of what the few women went through, how they made the transition and factors that contributed to their success. The focus of this study was to understand how women learn how to move from unemployment in the rural areas that are characterized by poverty and lack of employment opportunities to owning successful small businesses within the formal sector of urban Botswana. Relevant literature The informal sector in Southern Africa shares most of the basic characteristics of the informal economy in developing countries and other regions of Africa in terms of activities, female dominance, unregulated operations and problems such as lack of capital and markets, the system of patriarchy, and oppressive economic systems. Because of a history of regional migration to South Africa from all countries in the region, there are high rates of female-headed households. A study in Botswana by Jefferis (1997) found that the average of such households was between 33-40%. Access to financial services is gender-biased in Southern Africa. Recent studies in Botswana and the region (Grosh & Somolekae, 1996; Bolnick, 1992) show that the vast majority of women have no access to financial services. They require colla teral, rapid loan processing procedures and convenient locations for financial services (Bolnick, 1992). This is a problem for women’s businesses because as Rhyne and Otero (1992) put it “Financial needs of families or at least of individual enterprises are often not separate from the financial needs of enterprises themselves– this particularly true for enterprises owned by women” (p. 1565). In Botswana, financial service legislation is based on the patria rchal system that treats women as minors and at best as housewives. For example, all married women do not qualify for loans from commercial banks unless the husbands authorize the bank to process their loans. With male migration to South Africa and recently to urban areas in Botswana, most women have no choice but to go into informal business. Governments have also been criticized for the absence of realistic policies even where there is evidence that the informal economy has created employment. Although governments in the region differ because of different political histories, they share some things in common, such as lack of gender-focused policies. Such policies are not there because the prevailing opinion is that women have a nurturing role, hence are dependent on the kinship systems. In addition, women in the informal sector operate in hostile environments. For example, there are occasional cleaning campaigns where rural women working in the urban informal sector are forced to go back to the rural areas and work in agriculture. In Botswana existing literature on the efforts made by both government and non-government to assist women in the informal sector on both access to capital and skill training shows that most women are not benefiting from these programs (Women’s Affairs Division, 1995). Training programs for women in the informal sector have tended to focus on the acquisition of knowledge in technical and craft skills as well as commercial knowledge. Lack of education has been identified as a barrier to the performance of small businesses. According to Somolekae (1994), “In Botswana 39% of the entrepreneurs have no formal education and an additional 53 % attended only primary schooling” (p. 1881). While specialized training is important, success in business depends on training interventions that are gender sensitive (Burckhart, 1996). This type of training has been overlooked in the training given to the informal sector. In spite of the barriers faced by women in the informal sector, recent empirical research elsewhere and in Botswana (Osirim, 1992; Daniels, 1992) shows that a small proportion of independent bus inesswomen have enterprises that have demonstrated remarkable growth. Kapchan (1996) observed that in Morocco, businesswomen in the informal sector find that practices in the marketplace conflict with their traditional roles and values. Understanding how women have been able to successfully overcome their disadvantaged positions in complex business communities is crucial for developmental change. Theoretical Frameworks Recent interest in improving the lot of women in developing countries has led feminists and educators alike to stress improved educational and employment opportunities as critical means for women to attain greater control over their lives. For example, according to Molhotra and Mather (1997) education and employment are seen as the resource base essential for women to acquire greater independence from patriarchal constraints. Informed by the feminist economic development perspective (postmodern/post-structuralist) and the adult learning theories (informal/accidental and experiential), the purpose of this study was to understand how Botswana women learn how to move from poverty and unemployment to owning successful formal small businesses in an urban setting. These businesses started as unregulated businesses. Methodology This study employed a descriptive qualitative design that used in-depth, semi-structured interviews for data collection. The sample selection of 13 purposively selected small businesswomen reflected diversity in age, education, and number of years in business and type of business. Two research questions guided this study; (1) what situational and personal factors are associated with the success of women in the small business sector? Which factors facilitate the process? Which factors impede the process? (2) How do women negotiate personal and situational barriers so that their businesses can succeed? Findings Data analysis guided by the constant comparative method revealed that small business success for women should be understood within a specific context. The context for the participants of this study was defined as the interrelated nature of patriarchy and community orientation that emphasized a culture of sharing. The women’s conception of context varied. At times they interpreted it as a macro-level trigger of personal events, other times as a barrier in finding solutions to their business problems, and occasionally as a benevolent patron offering potential opportunities." @default.
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• W2401164502 title "A Botswana Rural Women's Transition to Urban Small Business Success: Collective Struggles, Collective Learning" @default.
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