Facing Obstacles Head On 

The obstacles women face when entering the business arena are similar to, but not the same as, those encountered by men. Any entrepreneur will need a host of particular personal characteristics, of which determination and perseverance rank among the most important. Entering the marketplace after identifying an opportunity to establish a micro or small enterprise takes courage. But careful consideration of the existing barriers and obstacles could mean the difference between success and failure. On a day-to-day basis, it means putting things into place to run the business. Women need to overcome internal barriers such as a lack of assertiveness. Moreover, they need to be able to remain self-motivated, to acquire communication skills – which are crucial in the workplace –and to manage employees, along with the other aspects of business. Although statistics indicate that there is a high level of literacy among South African women (87%), this does not necessarily translate into a high level of education.

 

Click here to read the full article

 

 

Scaling the Wall and Obtaining Financial Assistance

It is an accepted reality that access to business finance is not equal across all groups and that historical gender disparity still exists. Globally, it is agreed that South Africa’s constitutional and legislative framework is progressive, so much so that it has been hailed by many as a model framework. In particular, it highlights the importance of gender equality. One of the most basic obstacles women face in obtaining finance is that of financial illiteracy. Even those with a matric education cannot be assumed to be financially literate, since school subjects do not necessarily include the knowledge needed to read financial statements, prepare a business plan or, at an even simpler level, complete a loan or funding application. The past couple of years have seen a shift among mainstream banks in their attitude to lending a developing hand to enterprising women, yet the playing field is still not level and support structures or the lack thereof, self-reliance and family structure, as well as the need to spend quality time with children and family are all components of the women entrepreneur’s life that add to her time load.

 

Click here to read the full article

 

 

Women’s Development and Poverty: Can the Cycle be Broken?

Women’s enterprise development immediately brings to mind the issue of poverty. Traditionally, women have always been thought of as the breadwinners in rural communities, which is where they came to the fore and started small-scale businesses, most often growing and selling vegetables. But the last few decades have seen major strides in this area, with women moving into every imaginable job in non-traditional areas, and also in developing enterprises and starting up new businesses. Trade Union NUMSA says almost half (48%) of its membership consists of women. Since the Ministry for Women, Children and People with Disabilities was formed by the government in 2009, awareness of women in all walks of life has increased. In business, the Employment Equity Act (55 of 1998) was promulgated to redress the backlogs and inequalities existing at all levels of employment. Some progress has been reported and figures continue to rise, but women are still not as representative of their gender in the formal economy as they could be.

 

Click here to read the full article