Controversies and opportunities of two development measures for the advancement of women in Uganda: formal education and female entrepreneurship
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
Foundation Pro Scientia Publica
Materia
Formal education Macroeconomic policies Education programmes Women entrepreneurship Uganda
Date
2021-09-25Referencia bibliográfica
Namasembe, O., & Manzanera Ruiz, R. (2021). Controversies and opportunities of two development measures for the advancement of women in Uganda: Formal education and Women entrepreneurship. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 12(2), 631–645. [https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2021.2.631.645]
Abstract
Aim. The aim of the research is to investigate the relationship between formal education
and female entrepreneurship in Uganda. This research hopes to contribute to the
literature on education and women’s entrepreneurship in this country.
Methods. Data is collected from 109 women through semi structured interviews.
These are participants from the agribusiness sector and own businesses ranging from
market stalls, retail shops to street businesses. Through the iterative process, emerging
themes are analysed and discussed.
Results. The research finds that formal education programmes and macroeconomic
policies negatively impact formal education and female entrepreneurship. Macroeconomic
policies such as privatisation and the programmes of universal formal education do not
incentivise students (specifically female ones) to pursue a full formal education, influencing
them to leave schools early for necessity entrepreneurship to meet immediate needs.
Conclusions. Even though the study indicates that a formal education demonstrates
high outcomes in terms of economic growth and development, the education level
attained by women entrepreneurs is insufficient to meet true entrepreneurial success.
Furthermore, the macroeconomic environment adds to the challenge of successful
women entrepreneurship. Originality. Various economic initiatives have been implemented in the quest for
gender parity in education and women empowerment in Uganda since its independence.
Statistics have demonstrated an increase in women’s education and empowerment
through entrepreneurship, however, such data do not necessarily reflect economic
development. The results suggest that the relationship between formal education
and women entrepreneurship is more complex and nuanced than previously believed.