Rwandan women entrepreneurs ; the gendered enterprise of nation-building
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Issue Date
2013-07-26
Editor
Authors
Coldham, Nancy Pamela
License
Subject
development
empowerment
entrepreneurship training
gendered nation-building
post-genocide Rwanda
women entrepreneurship
empowerment
entrepreneurship training
gendered nation-building
post-genocide Rwanda
women entrepreneurship
Abstract
Women entrepreneurship has been well-studied, over the past 30 years, in OECD countries. However, women's roles as entrepreneurs advancing economic development in war torn and post conflict countries are under-studied. Recent research conducted in Africa, and within Rwanda, has focused on listening to the voices of women enterprise leaders, but there is a gap in understanding the best models of women entrepreneurship training to create sustainable entrepreneurship curriculum relevant to local culture. This research engages 30 graduates of the 2012 Peace Through Business program using a qualitative research approach reflective of feminist theory, post colonialism and empowerment studies relevant to women entrepreneurship. Participatory Action Research methodology has been applied through a combination of an in-country forum, an electronic survey and in-depth interviews. Using the simplified version of the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen method of data analysis, findings address whether current, Western-based women entrepreneurship training smacks of failed development efforts of traditional 20th century aid.