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Behind the veil: women-only entrepreneurship training in Pakistan

  • Muhammad Azam Roomi
    ,
  • Pegram Harrison
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the gender-related challenges of Pakistani women entrepreneurs, to explore these women's particular capacity-building needs, and to assess the impact of capacity-building programs on the establishment and performance of the women's enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a review of various theoretical contexts through which to understand women's entrepreneurship in an Islamic socio-cultural context. From this, the paper derived two working propositions: women in Islamic Pakistan face particular barriers to becoming entrepreneurs; these barriers can be reduced by women-only training in entrepreneurial competences. These propositions are examined in a three-part longitudinal process: a field survey to gather information about the training needs of current and potential women entrepreneurs, the design and delivery of a women-only training module, a follow-up survey with participants, 18 months later. Subjects and participants were randomly selected, and segmented according to entrepreneurial factors and characteristics. Findings – Results confirm that the barriers perceived by women entrepreneurs in Islamic Pakistan can be alleviated through women-only training that allows participants to develop capital and competences. Greater clarity about learning outcomes desired and achieved by women entrepreneurs in an Islamic socio-cultural context can be a basis for designing improved training and education programmes, with a view to women's economic empowerment.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 150-172

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship (Volume 2, Issue 2)

Publication milestones

  • Published - 01/06/2010

Publication status

Published - 01/06/2010

ISSN

1756-6266

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/222991
  • Scopus: 84986067911

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