Narrowing the Threat of Poverty Through Entrepreneurial Empowerment: The Experience of Rural Women Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Poverty is a world-wide social problem which has always threatened human life. It is structural or man-made; and as such, its threatening effect can be mitigated through empowerment efforts. Anchored on the theories of capacity approach, reinforcement, pathgoal leadership, learned needs, and self-determination, this case study explored the consequences of the entrepreneurial empowerment interventions of government and non-government agencies, which worked in synergy to provide capability trainings, materials, and technical support to rural women entrepreneurs. Based on the information generated from in-depth interviews as triangulated using available data, it was disclosed that the multifarious entrepreneurial empowerment activities improved the economic and social life of the women entrepreneurs. The activities enhanced their entrepreneurial spirit and boosted their self-confidence to mingle with people. Additional interventions such as availability of process-specific technology, seed money, entrepreneurial will, and sustained managerial focus were identified to maintain and sustain entrepreneurial undertakings.