The role of microenterprises in empowering women in urban Sudan

This study highlights the role of Sudanese women entrepreneur in changing their life style by running small-micro business activities; also the study investigates how small-micro business activities affect women’s empowerment. And what are the strategies can be stated to empower women and minimize the obstacles that face their business The study adopted the descriptive and analytical approaches making use of both secondary and primary data. The study’s focus is on women with microenterprises or engaged in trading, production, and selling in the informal sector. Hence, the population of the study is the 104 thousand of the self-employed females in KS.350 respondents are selected and random sampling technique is applied considering location of project (market-based, home-based, and street sellers), locality (all KS localities, namely Oumdorman, Karrari, Oumbada, Khartoum, Jabalawlia, Bahri, Shargalneel) and type of activity (20 different activities are covered). Primary data are collected using a structured questionnaire and individual interviewsheld with female entrepreneurs in KS as well as by optical observation by visiting the respondents in their locations. Collected data include (1) socioeconomic characteristics including age, marital status, education,family size and housing and place of residence; (2) project related data covering projecttype, activityandlocation; (3) entrepreneurial motivations, opinions, attitudes, perceptions and viewpoints; (4) information on familyincomeand assetsbeforeandafter the establishment of the project; (5) sources of funding; (6) marketing, competition and overall performance; and (7) problems and constrains. Secondary data are gathered from various sources including national surveys, censuses and previous studies. Both primary and secondary data are analysed using descriptive statistics and cross tabulation imbedded in Microsoft Excel software package. The main findings of this study revealed that participation of women in small-micro business activities helps in promoting women’s empowerment in both economic and social dimensions. Economic impact and economic empowerment on businesswomen evident in their ability to benefit from their small businesses and increased domestic income level, and creates independence in terms of having theirown income and control of income and ability to use their income contributing to householdpurchases and financingthe education of their children. This is confirmed as well by the findings that before the project only (16%) of the female entrepreneurs indicated that their Income covers the requirement of the family, while after the project (57%) of the respondent gave this response. And this confirms that the family income was increased and thus family conditions had improved due to the project. Also the female entrepreneurs own and manage their small businesses themselves,90% of the respondent reported that they have the ownership of the project, and they haven’t difficulties in the management of the project and it is a high percentage, and this mean that the female entrepreneurs is stronger enough to control over her resources. Economic empowerment also reveals in terms of taking loans from financial institutions and payment of the loan. The study result indicate that social impact on the female entrepreneurs was reflected in their ability to share with their husbands decisions and became more influence in the decision-making matters relating their household, their ability to make their decisions to contribute to children's education, health, the housing improvement, food consumption and savings, the majority of respondents reported that they are spending their own money on school fees and payments for health care expenses. Also the majority of the female entrepreneurs reported that they relied on themselves and became more self-esteem and confidence and became more participation through community and developing social networks, also most of the female entrepreneurs reported that they gained new skills and training and access to knowledge.