EVALUATION OF WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN SELECTED SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN MAIDUGURI METROPOLIS, BORNO STATE

Abstract

The notion of women being involved in SMEs is now commonplace compared to three decades ago but their level of participation in entrepreneurial activities is still low compared to their male counterparts. The low involvement of women in the SME sector in
Borno State is a major cause of concern since they are marginally involved in business activities by the current economic dispensation. The institutional theory reflects a sociological lens of interactions between institutions and societal research scope and present a selection of human behavioral theories that are particularly relevant to the domain of women's entrepreneurship. The contribution of women to the growth of an economy has been shown to be quite significant but as with other policies, it is not gender specific. The qualitative research method used open-ended, semi-structured interviews with Fifteen (15) women entrepreneurs. Government policies and programs, the need for women's capacity-building programs, easy access to financial institutions, and gender bias in the allocation of resources were themes that emerged from the study. The findings of the study reveal that government do not have a comprehensive policy on the role of women participation in entrepreneurship. It also reveals that women receive less empowerment and support in their businesses. Hence, more research is required in this sector. Women have been reported to contribute immensely to the social and economic fabric of many countries. Hence, the study recommends that it is important for the relevant agencies to recognize their inputs, which will enable them design specialized institutional packages or policies for their entrepreneurial needs. Many of the interventions are skewed towards the male's counterpart and females are mostly streamlined in their policies.