| Abstract: | This study was designed to shade light on the challenges that women entrepreneurs are facing to both start a new business or develop their existing business in Addis Ababa metropolitan. It also addressed the features of women entrepreneurs in as well as their respective business fields. A sample of 300 women entrepreneurs engaged in six sectors was taken for the study using simple random sampling. In an attempt to providing answering to the basic research questions which is mostly what and how, a descriptive research design has been implemented. Following, primary data has been collected by using questionnaire that includes both closed and open-ended questions to understand demographic profiles, characteristics of women entrepreneurs and their business, challenges that they faced and the way they tried to overcome their challenges. The questioner has been distributed to only women entrepreneurs and startups that are registered under Nifas silk Lafto sub city on the year 2012/13E.C. And secondary data has been collected from previous related research and governmental registries and reports, internet sources and other relevant information. After that the data has been analyzed quantitatively by using descriptive statistical techniques such as graphs and percentages to understand the frequency distribution. The result of the study indicates the personal characteristics, business status of women entrepreneurs in Addis Ababa and the various challenges that they have faced including the techniques they used to overcome the challenges. On the result section the various challenges have been tried to be categorized in to four basic groups such as economic, social, personal, and business challenges. Following, recommendations are provided for the upcoming new women startups and various sectors such as micro finance and educational institutions plus sectoral and concerned governmental associations. |
