FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN MICRO ...

Entrepreneurship education is designed in order to support graduates, existing and
potential entrepreneurs to create and run their own business rather than expecting
employment from government, private or NGOs. So as to develop entrepreneurial culture
to all groups of the society, entrepreneurship is given in different countries including
Ethiopia in formal, informal and non-formal way through TVET colleges/institutes.
In addition to their delivery of entrepreneurship trainings in different modalities, TVETs
have MSEs coordination office since 2009. The office facilitates the different short term
trainings given to SMEs from registration up to certification. All these contribute a lot in
strengthening women entrepreneurs’ performance by equipping them with the necessary
business skills.
Even though women entrepreneurs in MSEs account the greatest proportion of total
entrepreneurs in the country as a whole and in Dessie in particular, there is an acute
shortage of studies conducted with a specific objective of analyzing the problems of
enterprises operated by women in terms of personal and organizational-related
challenges, economic, social/cultural, and legal/administrative.
This study is deemed to fill the gaps by identifying specific factors that are responsible
for resilience in SMEs operated by women entrepreneurs, and shade light on women-
specific differentials that affect their performance.
Thus, in this study it is thought to assess the different factors that affect the performance
of women entrepreneurs in MSEs in Dessie town. Furthermore, the supports given by
TVET institutions to MSEs are assessed very well. In light of this, the study attempts to
answer the following basic questions:
1. What are the major characteristics of women entrepreneurs in MSEs and their
enterprises?
2. What are the key economic, social, legal and administrative factors that affect the
performance of women entrepreneurs in MSEs?
3. What supports are given to women entrepreneurs in MSEs by TVET institutes to
solve problems they face?
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