Women In Entrepreneurship: Impacts And Challenges In Cameroon

Date: 26^th February 2021 – Time: 3pm to 4:30pm

Venue: Online (Zoom)

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BACKGROUND

Based on statistics from the French agency for development, women in Africa make up 58% of the self-employed population and are more likely than men to choose entrepreneurship not because they have a burning passion or the right skills, but because of a lack of better opportunities. Wage job opportunities are relatively scarce in Africa and this is even more with the case of women who often have lower levels of formal education and may face discrimination in hiring practices. Also, women tend to be given most of the responsibility for home-based work like childcare, so small-scale home-based businesses may be one of the few ways they can generate an income to help cover the needs of their families. Increasingly, national government leaders and other stakeholders across Africa are recognizing that women are a force for growth – but could be even more so. (ID4D, 2020) Considering the fact that Africa is now a world leader in women business owners, you can see that unlocking their potential can make a huge contribution to the continent’s growth and prosperity. Women entrepreneurs significantly contribute to the success of the economy. They shape and redefine the workplace, business networks, financial institutions, and culture. (Carter, Anderson & Shaw: 2001).

The Cameroonian society is still a deeply patriarchal society, with women largely expected to look after the home and children. But an increasing number of Cameroonian women are

breaking out of the domestic sphere and forging successful careers in the world of business. Studies show that the experience of women in business is different from those of men. Some of the challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship include; family constraints, lack of education and training, gender inequality, difficulty to access finance, fear of failure, and timidity.

It is based on these interwoven challenges faced by women that the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center (SBEC) of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, organizes a webinar on the theme “Women in Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Impacts in Cameroon.” so as to discuss the impacts of women’s entrepreneurship and propose pertinent solutions to challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in Cameroon.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this webinar is to discuss the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in Cameroon and seek possible solutions to these problems in other to achieve a favorable entrepreneurial ecosystem.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives are to:

• Bring together dynamic female entrepreneurs and experts to discuss the various challenges plaguing female entrepreneurship in Cameroon and propose pertinent solutions to these problems.
• Discuss the impacts of female entrepreneurship in Cameroon.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Prominent female entrepreneurs in Cameroon
• Members of the SBEC network
• Other dynamic entrepreneurs