Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa: - CAWTAR

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CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Executive Summary Women business owners in different countries cite similar challenges in doing business, but with different rankings that vary depending on their specific business environments (table 2). Among the top challenges faced by the majority of women surveyed are: Most important business issue 2 nd most important issue 3 rd most important issue 1. Entrepreneurial Training: Most women business owners are interested in receiving external training and support services, believing it would be helpful in managing the growth of their enterprises (graph 6). Especially desired is more information on how to access new markets at home and abroad and how to use technology to grow a business. Average Rating (1-5 scale) 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 (1) learning financial management skills; (2) finding and keeping good employees; (3) access to capital and; (4) the high cost of public services. Other key challenges, ranked amongst the top five in at least three countries, were the high cost of labor, the desire for access to general business training and support and the importance of gaining access to new markets for their products or services. table 2: Top Three Business Concerns Differ Among Countries Learning about new mkts Bahrain Finding/ keeping good employees (3.86) Low efficiency/ Productivity (3.67) Access to new markets (3.66) Learning about technology Trips to other countries Jordan Access to capital (4.11) Learning financial management skills (4.09) High cost of public services (4.08) Business mgmnt training Learning financial management skills (4.25) Access to capital (4.22) Financial mgmnt training Lebanon High cost of public services (4.58) Meet w/ other WBOs Finding/ keeping good employees (3.92) Numbers are averages on a 1-5 scale, with 1=not at all important, 5=extremely important. graph 6: Entrepreneurial Training Would Be Helpful High cost of public services (3.73) Access to new markets (3.63) Training on advocacy Tunisia High cost of rent (4.45) Learning financial management skills (4.20) Access to technology (4.12) Bahrain Jordan Lebanon Tunisia UAE UAE 11 Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa: Characteristics, Contributions and Challenges
Executive Summary 2. Access to Capital: Asmaller proportion of women in MENA use formal sources of credit for their businesses compared to other regions of the world (graph 7). ■ ■ With limited access to formal finance, women are financing their businesses mostly through personal sources such as savings, friends and family, and by reinvesting business earnings (graph 8). These sources of finance are the top sources being utilized by women in each country during the past 12 months. 12 Percent 60 50 40 30 20 10 Between 50% and 75% of the women surveyed have sought external financing for their businesses at some time during the previous 12 months. Most have not received any financing from a formal financial institution. Tunisia has the highest number of women business owners having bank credit, at 47%, with Jordan at 34%, the UAE at 32%, Bahrain at 22%, and Lebanon at just 17%. graph 7: Women are Seeking Financing, But Lack Bank Credit Sought external financing in past 12 months Currently have bank credit 0 27 27 55 Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa: Characteristics, Contributions and Challenges 17 graph 8: Business Earnings, Private Sources Top Sources of Financing 26 22 39 32 34 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Percent Business earnings Private sources (savings, family, friends) Types of Financing Used in Past Year 12 47 51 21 56 59 29 62 8 44 76 Bahrain Jordan Lebanon Tunisia UAE Bahrain Jordan Lebanon Tunisia UAE
Page 1 and 2: International Finance Corporation G
Page 3 and 4: CAWTAR Center of Arab Women for Tra
Page 5 and 6: FOREWORD I Her Royal Majesty Queen
Page 7 and 8: FOREWORD III GEM FOREWORD AMANDA N.
Page 10 and 11: Table of Contents Foreword(s) .....
Page 12 and 13: Table of Contents Survey Instrument
Page 14 and 15: In every region of the world, more
Page 16 and 17: Executive Summary This publication
Page 18 and 19: CONTRIBUTIONS TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPME
Page 22 and 23: PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS Executi
Page 24 and 25: The Characteristics, Contributions
Page 28 and 29: • Access to property or land was
Page 32 and 33: Percent Involved in Int'l Trade Int
Page 36 and 37: Average Rating (1-5 scale) The Char
Page 42 and 43: While the women business owners sur
Page 46 and 47: ● Strengthening external support
Page 48 and 49: Executive Country Reports While the
Page 50 and 51: exporting, 10% tend to export to co
Page 52 and 53: Jordan “The initiative is unique
Page 54 and 55: them as a woman, and others (41.4%)
Page 56 and 57: 33% to 50 % of the surveyed busines
Page 58 and 59: Tunisia “I expect the study to bu
Page 60 and 61: ● an even higher level of importa
Page 62 and 63: In terms of levels of education (in
Page 64 and 65: The surveyed women represent a vari
Page 66 and 67: asked about problems I face as a co
Page 68 and 69: Acknowledgements This capacity buil
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Survey Instrument and Question Resu
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Compendium of Reference Reports and
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Jabra, B. Underwood, C., and Goodsm
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Organizations Focused on Women’s
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Title: Women Entrepreneurs in the M
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