A socio-anthropological understanding of the reasons for female entrepreneurs’ attraction to social media in developing countries
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Chux Gervase Iwu [1], Victoria Openif’Oluwa Akoleowo [2], Lucky Sibanda [3] & Tendai Makwara [4]
| Abstract: Patriarchal, religious, and cultural values have consistently limited women’s participation in the public sphere. Nowhere is this more evident than in entrepreneurial activities conducted in the public space. Therefore, the social media revolution is conceptualised as a mode of overcoming the restrictions and limitations on women’s participation in the public sphere. More importantly, social media platforms are utilised as media for women’s entrepreneurial activities. A cursory look at these platforms reveals that women, who would otherwise have no avenue for carrying out entrepreneurial activities by their limitation to the private sphere, utilise these platforms to actualise their entrepreneurial aspirations. As such, social media platforms present a means of ensuring women’s inclusivity and empowerment in the economic sector, contrary to patriarchal, religious, and cultural challenges to women’s public participation. However, utilising these platforms also presents its challenges. This paper, therefore, attempts a critical evaluation of the role of social media platforms in women’s entrepreneurial activities. Keywords: Female entrepreneurs; social media; Entrepreneurship development; Economic anthropology; |
[1] Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, cgiwu@uwc.ac.za.
[2] Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, Nigeria, opeakoleowo@gmail.com.
[3] Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of the Western Cape, South Africa, ckisto@gmail.com.
[4] Boston City Campus, Stellenbosch, South Africa, makwara.t@gmail.com.