Socio-cultural barriers to female entrepreneurship in rural areas

Abstract

This paper explores the socio-cultural barriers that hinder female entrepreneurship in rural Morocco, drawing on institutional and social role theories to understand how institutional and cultural factors influence women's economic choices. The study aims to provide an analysis of the constraints and opportunities in a context marked by rigid social norms and structural limitations, while suggesting ways to improve the empowerment of rural women. The data used in this study come from a sample of 272 women living in rural areas of Morocco. These women were selected to represent diverse profiles in terms of age, education level, and marital status, in order to capture the multiple dimensions of the entrepreneurial challenges they face. The study adopts an empirical approach based on an Ordered Probit model, appropriate for the ordinal nature of the dependent variable measuring the degree of entrepreneurial readiness. The results reveal that cultural expectations and social pressures constitute significant obstacles to female entrepreneurship in rural areas. Traditional roles and community norms have a strong negative effect on women's entrepreneurial engagement. Additionally, geographic mobility limitations restrict access to resources and opportunities, while access to social and economic networks is partially influential. On the other hand, increased access to financial and institutional resources emerges as an important factor promoting entrepreneurship. The study also highlights that education plays a positive role, while marital status, particularly for divorced women, is associated with a higher propensity to engage in entrepreneurial activities.