An Assessment of the Contribution of Women Entrepreneurs Towards Economic Development in Wajir Township
Loading...
Date
2021
Authors
Mulei, Mirriam Wanza
Gakobo, Joyce
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
IJCAB Publishing Group
Abstract
Women in the pastoralist societies have always been considered as major pillars of both social
and economic sustenance of their communities. Their role in the society is mainly as caregivers as
opposed to being income earners. However, with increased women empowerment, more women
are taking up income generating activities with a great number being involved in entrepreneurship
activities. This study examined the contribution of women entrepreneurs towards economic
development in Wajir township. The specific objectives included to assess how two important
attributes of entrepreneurs contribute to economic development, thus establish the contribution of
competitiveness of women entrepreneurs to economic development as well as the contribution of
innovativeness of the women entrepreneurs to economic development and finally identify the
characteristics of women entrepreneurs in Wajir township. This research was conducted among
the eight hundred and forty-eight (848) women entrepreneurs operating within the township
registered by the Department of Gender and special programs in the county. A total of one hundred
(100) women were selected as a sample for the study. Data collection was done using closed ended
questionnaires as the main tool whereas focused group discussions and key informant interviews
were employed to triangulate the data. To measure reliability of the instrument, the questionnaire
was tested and retested with a sample of respondents and the results measured against the
Cronbach’s Alpha correlation coefficient test. To test the validity of the instrument, a pilot test
was carried out. Analysis of data was done using SPSS and presented using tables and figures.
The study revealed that there is an evident relationship between women enterepreneurial
behaviour and consequent contribution to economic development in Wajir township. It was
observed that the knack of an entrepreneur to be more innovative contributes more to job creation
and better productivity in Wajir township compared to their competitive ability. On the other hand,
a competitive women entrepreneur is more likely to contribute to personal wealth creation
compared to an innovative one. This means that necessary support that promotes innovation and
competitiveness amongst women entrepreneurs in Wajir township should be encouraged. The
conclusion from this study is thus, women run enterprises in Wajir township contribute to the
overall socio-economic development of the county.
Description
An Article Published in International Journal of Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Keywords
Women Entrepreneurs, Characteristics of Women Entrepreneurs, Competitiveness of Women Entrepreneurs, Innovativeness of Women Entrepreneurs, Wajir Township
Citation
Mulei, M., & Gakobo, J. (2021). An Assessment of the Contribution of Women Entrepreneurs Towards Economic Development in Wajir Township. International Journal of Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 3(1), 36-48. https://doi.org/10.35942/jbmed.v3i1.163