Competing Priorities : Women's Microenterprises and Household Relationships
Recent studies have suggested that women's business decisions are influenced by members of their household, especially their spouse, and that these intrahousehold dynamics contribute to gender gaps in entrepreneurship outcomes. This in-depth q...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/587801534168225558/Competing-priorities-womens-microenterprises-and-household-relationships http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30240 |
| Summary: | Recent studies have suggested that
women's business decisions are influenced by members of
their household, especially their spouse, and that these
intrahousehold dynamics contribute to gender gaps in
entrepreneurship outcomes. This in-depth qualitative study
among microentrepreneurs in urban Ghana sought to understand
the connections between women's businesses and their
households' management of economic resources. The
findings show that women’s business decisions are influenced
by: (1) a desire to reinforce their partner's
responsibilities as a primary provider, (2) attempts to
fulfill normative expectations regarding daily provision of
needs for the family, and (3) a need to prepare for
long-term security. To reinforce their husband's
responsibilities as a provider, women hid income and
savings, and sometimes explicitly limited business growth.
To ensure their ability to smooth household consumption and
respond to emergencies, women prioritized savings over
investment. And, to plan for their long-term security, women
opted for cautious business investment, maintaining pressure
on their partner to meet current needs and investing in
children and property for the future. More broadly, the
findings illustrate that interpersonal interactions
concerning the management of economic resources are an
integral part of how household members negotiate their
rights and responsibilities in relation to each other. |
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