Competing Priorities : Women's Microenterprises and Household Relationships

Friedson-Ridenour, Sophia ; Pierotti, Rachael S.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS;    MICROENTERPRISE;    HOUSEHOLD RELATIONSHIPS;    GENDER;    INTRAHOUSEHOLD ALLOCATION;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-8550
RP-ID  :  WPS8550

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Recent studies have suggested thatwomen's business decisions are influenced by members oftheir household, especially their spouse, and that theseintrahousehold dynamics contribute to gender gaps inentrepreneurship outcomes. This in-depth qualitative studyamong microentrepreneurs in urban Ghana sought to understandthe connections between women's businesses and theirhouseholds' management of economic resources. Thefindings show that women’s business decisions are influencedby: (1) a desire to reinforce their partner'sresponsibilities as a primary provider, (2) attempts tofulfill normative expectations regarding daily provision ofneeds for the family, and (3) a need to prepare forlong-term security. To reinforce their husband'sresponsibilities as a provider, women hid income andsavings, and sometimes explicitly limited business growth.To ensure their ability to smooth household consumption andrespond to emergencies, women prioritized savings overinvestment. And, to plan for their long-term security, womenopted for cautious business investment, maintaining pressureon their partner to meet current needs and investing inchildren and property for the future. More broadly, thefindings illustrate that interpersonal interactionsconcerning the management of economic resources are anintegral part of how household members negotiate theirrights and responsibilities in relation to each other.