Agenssa, W. A., & Premanandam, P. (2021). Impact of Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises on Improving the Socio-Economic Status of Women in Ethiopia: The Case of Hawassa City Gender in Management: An International Journal, 8(2), pp. 1342–1354
The purpose of this study was to assess the general ownership participation of women in micro and small-scale enterprises (MSSEs) and pinpoint the role of MSSEs in improving the socio-economic status of women after intervention in the study area. The study focused on the city of Hawassa in Ethiopia. The data used in the study was collected using survey methods from primary sources using questionnaires, interviews, personal observations, and focus group discussions, while secondary data were collected through reviewing documents, books, and scholars’ research journals. The study demonstrates how MSSEs helped women become business owners and increase their income.
According to the study, MSSEs are taking on the labour forces of the less educated, the unemployed youth, women, and men, as well as those who are unable to complete their studies at universities. Although there are restrictions on women’s ownership and employment in the MSSE, women who work in the industry earn more money over time, which has improved their living conditions and social and economic standing. Similar to how an increase in men’s income can improve income distribution, it can also increase women’s spending power on things like food, clothing, housing, medical care, education, and various community activities. The paper also makes the recommendation that the government and non-governmental organisations support MSSEs in providing better technologies at reasonable prices. This is crucial for the sector to improve the productivity of its products and services, increase the income of women and young people, and, as a result, increase their capacity to combat poverty, income inequality, and unemployment.
In general, MSSEs play a significant role in raising the income of women and young people working in the sector. Even though MSSEs play a significant role in reducing poverty in Ethiopia’s urban areas, the proportion of women and young people who work in the sector and have access to capital is still very low. The paper instead can show the differences in time spent on unpaid care work between women and men and among people with different socioeconomic characteristics like geographic location, age group, educational level, or marital status, as well as the presence and age of children in the household, which are argued to be factors that lead to women’s lower participation in the MSSEs. The paper should have recommended a way forward by tackling these issues.