Egyptian women and microenterprise : the invisible entrepreneurs

This report examines the nature and extent of women"s participation in the Egyptian informal sector as owners and operators of small and microenterprises. Research involved surveys of 323 Egyptian small and microentrepreneurs, both men and women from both rural and urban areas. Data were gathered on activity sectors, business sizes, ownership patterns, types and numbers of employees, profitability, failure rates, financing, assets, production levels, and markets. Data were also gathered on the constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in the informal sector, both those that they share with men and those that are special to women. A major finding is that 38% of households in the study depend on women"s income for survival. The women also shared in the overall dynamism of the microenterprise sector, with 59% of female microentrepreneurs planning to expand their businesses. Compared with men, the women were more likely to start their business from home and to work part time; they were also more likely to receive less and offer more credit than men, thereby creating working capital problems for their businesses. Guidelines for policy or institutional interventions to improve the opportunities for women entrepreneurs are presented in conclusion. Appendices include the survey instrument, four case studies, and a bibliography.