Social Change and Women Entrepreneurship in Algeria

Algerian women had a culture of staying at home, but with the beginning of this century, the Algerian women are holding positions of responsibility. Many of them chose to be entrepreneurs, which demonstrate that the country is living profound social and cultural changes. The current environment in Algeria promotes access to education and training for girls, but the socio-cultural environment remains a difficult obstacle to overcome for women. Few years ago, to see women as entrepreneurs was inconceivable in a male and conservative society. Despite the improving economy, Algeria is experiencing a high rate of unemployment, including the young graduates. This motivated the state to adopt a policy of youth employment, by granting them financial facilities, in order to create their own businesses. These factors have encouraged women who graduated to venture into entrepreneurship businesses. 22 female entrepreneurs were interviewed and the impact of social, cultural changes and attitudes in Algerian society were explored. The results from this study showed that the Algerian society is undergoing big socio-cultural changes and women entrepreneurs became a usual matter in Algeria. In spite of this facts, the majority of them complain of socio-cultural constraints. The purpose of this paper is to study the socio-cultural changes and constraints of women entrepreneurs in Algeria. It also highlights the support received by them from their families, to confront the constraints of a male society.