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Entrepreneurs

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

1.1. Background to the study

The development of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and in particular those run by women is being promoted as a key strategy for development by governments and developmental agencies (Mayoux 2001). This strategy is being adopted mainly because of evidence of increased growth of women’s enterprises over the past thirty years and the increased recognition by United Nations bodies of the need to promote the development of entrepreneurship skills among women as a key strategy of economically empowering them.

Some African countries, including Zimbabwe are also beginning to recognize the importance of micro and small enterprises as engines for economic development and the sector has been growing over the past decade. A survey by GEMINI in 1991 showed that Zimbabwe had 845,000 MSEs employing approximately 1.6 million people and another by Brand et. al (1992) estimated that 27 percentage of the labour force in Zimbabwe was employed by the MSEs. Marcucci (2001) attributes this sharp increase to MSE activity in Zimbabwe to the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) introduced by Government in 1991. ESAP deregulated and liberalized the economy creating room for small entrepreneurs to easily start their own businesses.

Another survey conducted by GEMINI in 1992 revealed that women were making their presence in the MSE sector felt as their enterprises were increasing and growing considerably across Zimbabwe. The same survey showed that the number of MSEs ran by women in Zimbabwe increased by 8.5 percent between 1991 and 1992 and that 67 percent of the enterprises were run by women. The same study also showed that although women ran more micro and small enterprises than men, their enterprises were smaller and were found in the informal sector and tended to produce less income compared to those enterprises ran by men.

It is unfortunate to notice that, disparities and imbalances of the above...