Volume 8
Volume 8, December 2017
3. IDENTIFYING THE NATURE, ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN AGRICULTURE: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH
Nik Rozana Nik Mohd Masdek*
The number of women entrepreneurs in Malaysia has increased significantly since the country gained independence. Malaysia can be considered as a country that practises equality between men and women. Government support can be seen through the creation of many development programs for women. Inclusiveness has been emphasized, through the 10th Malaysia Plan, to ensure that marginalised groups in the population, including rural women entrepreneurs, are taken care of. A limited study has previously been undertaken to understand the issues and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the country. In the present study, focus group discussions were carried out and selfadministered questionnaires were given to 256 female participants from three women development programs. Factor analysis was used to identify the issues and problems faced by rural women entrepreneurs, especially those involved in agriculture-based businesses. The majority of respondents were Malays within the age group of 41 to 60 years. The results of the analysis indicated that the top three challenges faced by rural women entrepreneurs were marketing, human resources, and financing. One challenge pertained specifically to family commitments. Overall, although burdened with the responsibilities of a homemaker, rural women have the potential to contribute to their household economy and raise its income if the issues and challenges they face are managed well, with support from the development programs provided for them.
Keywords: Women, rural, entrepreneurship, factor analysis, mixed methods