Source: The Zimbabwe Telegraph
Africa’s economic independence aspirations require more women participants to be involved in business ownership and entrepreneurship. Normally innovation drives entrepreneurship which starts first with the vision then the mission which leads to the creation of a business.

 

Related There is no natural law which excludes women in business but rather social construction and family values have served to exclude women from benefiting from entrepreneurial infrastructure to establish their own businesses.

Globally in general and in Africa particularly historically, entrepreneurship has been a male-dominated pursuit which has been supported by centuries of social construction values which have sought to exclude women from meaningful economic activities. Zimbabwe should take a lead in the current economic empowerment exercise and ensure women are not relegated to spectators but significant participants.

In a family set up entrepreneurial talent, spirit and skills may be possessed by a woman who may be a sister, mother or daughter. This calls for the male relatives who may be the brother, husband, father to be prepared to support the female relative pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. The support to the female relatives is critical for the woman entrepreneur who may face many other hurdles in the business world including discrimination.

The keys to growing a family business support and maintaining healthy family relationships are trust, strong family values and open communications. In Zimbabwe due to our cultural upbringing man normally take the lead in most things but in the entrepreneurial endeavour in the family set up it may be best that the man play the supporting role whilst the woman is the “main actor”.

A lacking important part of the entrepreneurial infrastructure is to empower economically marginalised women to empower themselves by offering practical resources which make it possible for women to enter business and succeed. This requires an adjustment on how woman entrepreneurs and business woman are viewed.
The family system led by the male spouse has to play a positive role in increasing business confidence, facilitating equal access to economic and productive resources for women, and to facilitate poverty eradication, utilising gender empowerment principles.

Before an individual takes the plunge to own a business based on what could be one’s passion, hobby and possibly business skills it takes a lot of courage, determination and the acceptance of continuous hard work. In addition it requires solid support of the whole family for the business to succeed. This challenge is even higher for a woman since in the African society woman have historically played a more reserved role in the family’s economic affairs.
As part of the Zimbabwe and Africa entrepreneurial infrastructure there is need for policy shift which helps set up organizations that provide business training and networking opportunities for women of diverse occupations and backgrounds. This is in recognition that women are capable entrepreneurs if given the support and resources needed to start a business. The general reduced numbers of women in business is a clear disadvantage for Africa to compete at a global scale since almost half of the population is arguably excluded from accessing the limited entrepreneurial infrastructure.

At times role confusion in family and business can cause communication problems that can hurt the business and wreck family relationships. This is normally a result of poor communication at the initial stages when one partner decided to enter into business with the other not being so supportive or “understanding”. One possible way to address this is for families to focus on how everyone can benefit if the business succeeds. Then support whoever has the passion, skills and spirit for entrepreneurship even if that person happens to be a woman.

• Zimbabwe