Breaking the Metal Ceiling : Female Entrepreneurs Who Succeed in Male-Dominated Sectors

Campos, Francisco ; Goldstein, Markus ; McGorman, Laura ; Munoz Boudet, Ana Maria ; Pimhidzai, Obert

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR;    BUSINESS ACTIVITIES;    BUSINESS OWNERS;    EMPOWERMENT;    BIRTH;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7503
RP-ID  :  WPS7503

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

A range of reasons is cited to explaingender differences in business performance in Africa. Withinthose, the sector of operations is consistently identifiedas a major issue. This paper uses a mixed methods approachto assess how women entrepreneurs in Uganda start (andstrive) operating firms in male-dominated sectors, and whathinders other women from doing so. The study finds thatwomen who cross over into male-dominated sectors make asmuch as men, and three times more than women who stay infemale-dominated sectors. The paper examines a set offactors to explain the differences in sector choices, andfinds that there is a problem of information aboutopportunities in male-dominated industries. The analysisalso concludes that psychosocial factors, particularly theinfluence of male role models and exposure to the sectorfrom family and friends, are critical in helping womencircumvent or overcome the norms that undergird occupational segregation.