Egyptian rural women entrepreneurs: Challenges, ambitions and opportunities

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the main challenges and opportunities facing Egyptian rural women entrepreneurs (RWEs) in starting and growing their enterprises. The study narrates the story of one woman in rural Egypt and the challenges she has encountered in becoming an entrepreneur. A qualitative approach is applied to explore various social and economic aspects in Egyptian RWEs’ life. The results suggest four main interrelated challenges and two main opportunities facing RWEs in rural Egypt. This is one of few studies responding to calls for more research addressing RWEs, particularly in developing countries, and for showing the role of context in shaping their entrepreneurial decisions. The case offers better understanding of RWEs, and sets the foundation for more research in areas of rural women empowerment, rural development and contextualisation of entrepreneurship.