The Role Of Social Entrepreneurship In Empowerment Of Women In Rural Areas Of Croatia

This paper aims to contribute to better understanding of the role of social entrepreneurship in empowering women in rural areas. Women, and women in rural areas in particular, are one of the most vulnerable social groups exposed to a high risk of poverty and social exclusion. At the same time, findings have shown that women do not lag far behind men regarding generation of business ideas and perceiving and exploiting business opportunities. Although a relatively new concept and phenomenon, social entrepreneurship in Croatia has already shown its potential in addressing the needs of marginalized social groups and has therefore emerged as a model that might contribute to women’s empowerment. The important characteristic of social entrepreneurship is its collective nature. Solidarity, mutual support and sharing of risks and responsibilities, which are provided through social entrepreneurship, might encourage women in rural areas to enter and sustain in entrepreneurial activities. To assess the role of social entrepreneurship in empowerment of rural women, the paper will focus on two case studies of social enterprises led by women from two different rural regions of Croatia. By employing focus groups and in-depth interviews with representatives and participants of the chosen social enterprises, the empirical research will focus on the assessment of the role social enterprises might play on various dimensions of women’s empowerment in local rural community.