Promoting women empowerment through entrepreneurship in Lesotho

Abstract

This study is about promoting women empowerment through entrepreneurship in Lesotho using the case study of Malealea Handicrafts Cooperatives in Mafeteng district in Lesotho. While entrepreneurship research is not a new phenomenon in Lesotho, there is limited research on its links to women empowerment. This study is important because it sought to close the research gap in this regard. In the main, study is exploratory and investigative in nature. It sought the participation of 59 respondents from Malealea who provided their views on women empowerment through entrepreneurship. To obtain respondents‘ views, a structured questionnaire was administered for women entrepreneurs (50) and interviews questions was administered for key informants (9) as survey instruments. Overall, the study has established that the high number of women participation entrepreneurial initiatives is not surprising given that there is a growing global interest in women empowerment through entrepreneurship. It is indicated in the study that entrepreneurial activities do contribute to socio-economic empowerment and development of women in their respective localities, thus enabling them to address their challenges of women poverty and unemployment. Despite high participation of women in entrepreneurial initiatives, however, the study has established that women still face socio-economic and political challenges that disempower them to take charge of their livelihoods in their localities. These challenges include but are not limited to unavailability of credit resources to enable to finance their entrepreneurial activities, socio-cultural norms that deprive women to participate in decision-making processes relating to their affair, lack of political will and commitment from government in the implementation of policies v related to empowering women, and inadequate provision of entrepreneurial infrastructure to support women‘s businesses in their respective localities. In concluding, the study has found that there is a general desire for women participation in entrepreneurship initiatives in their localities, despite the socio-economic and political challenges experienced. To meet women halfway in their entrepreneurial activities as a way of empowering themselves, the study has recommended that there should be a national drive towards capacity building of women empowerment infrastructures at national and local levels. This would enable full policy implementation, integration, and oversight of women empowerment initiatives at all levels of decision making to improve effective implementation of the existing laws and policies directed towards empowering women in Lesotho.