Research and education at MsM are aligned to support female entrepreneurship. In 2010 MsM’s director of research co-edited a special issue of the European Journal of Development Economics on female entrepreneurship in developing countries. A description of the central research findings contained in this special issue and a link to the journal is available
here (see also further reading below).
But more research is needed, and in the foreseeable future this will be one area of prime importance for MsM. Despite the availability of a growing number of case studies including accounts of best practices, questions remain. Who are the best and most effective women entrepreneurship promoters? Which institutions, measures, interventions, strategies, policies or even individual projects impact women entrepreneurs? The general question is: what turns small scale women’s businesses into successful ventures with greater sales, employment opportunities and thus contributing more substantially to economic growth?
In addition to supporting further research into better understanding the challenges and opportunities that female entrepreneurs face, MsM is also supporting female entrepreneurs through education and training. Hence MsM designed a Women Entrepreneurship Promotion (WEP) Executive Program to strengthen the skills and decision-making capacity of female entrepreneurs. During the program participants are challenged to come up with ideas and actions to increase access to financial resources and business opportunities for women, to learn from best practices, and to advocate entrepreneurial friendly economic policies.
To get first hand observation and share experiences with women entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, several work visits are organized during the program. In 2011 participants visited the Women’s Business Initiative International in The Hague where they had the opportunity to meet with several women entrepreneurs. Besides networking and pitching for business opportunities, the participants discussed the importance of creating networks, business associations and information platforms, and addressed questions such as how to deal with cultural and social barriers and what empowerment strategies are.
A guiding principle throughout the program is effective individual learning. To ensure that the students will be able to put their newly acquired skills and knowledge into practice, they are asked to design an individual plan of action. The students’ assignment is to complete and present a plan for women entrepreneurship promotion in their country of origin, using the inputs of the program. During three weeks, the students are coached and guided through the process of creating a business plan, resulting in a presentation. The WEP 2011 program resulted in the presentation of six plans ready for implementation.
In Rwanda, WEP student Deodata Mukazayire has started to promote women entrepreneurship by opening a school for technical and vocational education for young women. Here women will be trained and coached to become for example a mechanic and open a garage and car workshop.
In Zimbabwe, Chido Tsinakwadi has created a women’s fund to provide women entrepreneurs with credit, a network of other women, and access to training. It is the ambition of Ms. Tsinakwadi to let the fund grow into a women’s bank.
In Syria, Nadia Helmi has designed a strategy for women entrepreneurship promotion at the ministry of Local Development. In 2012 she will ensure that a small group of rural women will be trained, linked together and encouraged to enhance their entrepreneurial skills, and start a small scale business in for example sales of dairy products such as cheese.
“This is the best experience I had in learning where lessons were matched with actual businesses. Being an entrepreneur is possible. One only needs the courage and passion to start.” - Engudai Assefa, WEP student 2011.
“The individual assignments deepened the lessons given and were of great help to structure and develop my ideas. These assignments appeared to be weak at the beginning but were always improved after each lesson. They turned out to be the biggest project at the end of the course!” - Chido Tsinakwadi, WEP student 2011.
Related news:
MENA Scholarship recipient at the Maastricht School of Management
For further reading:
Examining the entrepreneur gender gap
Entrepreneurship and human development: A capability approach