Empowering Women in Serbian Rural Areas with Entrepreneurial Initiatives
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Abstract
Entrepreneurial initiatives represent an important tool for the economic empowerment of women in rural areas, allowing them to generate additional sources of income, reduce poverty rates, and improve their social integration. This research analyzes the role of entrepreneurial initiatives in empowering women in rural areas of Serbia, with a particular focus on their economic and social aspects. The direct economic effects of entrepreneurial initiatives, such as generating additional income and creating new jobs, are key aspects of economic empowerment for women in rural communities. At the same time, women entrepreneurship in rural areas can serve as a tool to mitigate migration and promote more balanced regional development. For the purposes of this research, a survey method was used, and the study was conducted on a sample of 73 women living in rural areas of the Republic of Serbia from July to September 2024. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The results of this research indicate significant economic and social benefits of entrepreneurial initiatives, which contribute to the economic independence and social empowerment of women in rural areas but also highlight challenges such as limited access to finances, education, and training. This research emphasizes the need for greater support from local and state institutions, as well as the importance of networking among women entrepreneurs to enhance their access to resources and markets.
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References
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[32] Nordbø, I. (2022). Female entrepreneurs and path-dependency in rural tourism. Journal of Rural Studies, 96, 198-206.
[33] Popović-Pantić, S. (2014). Žensko preduzetništvo u Srbiji: Evolucija od socijalne ka ekonomskoj kategoriji. Poslovna ekonomija, 8(2), 143-162.
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[2] Ameen, M.A. (2022). Women Entrepreneurship as A Response to Gender Discrimination. Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Studies, 5(6), 1760-1764.
[3] Antonijević, M., Domazet, I., Kojić, M., & Simović, V. (2024). Financial Inclusion - A Driving Force for Women's Entrepreneurship Development. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 3-4, 73-92.
[4] Bayeh, E. (2016). The role of empowering women and achieving gender equality to the sustainable development of Ethiopia. Pacific Science Review B: Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(1), 37-42.
[5] Bhandari, P., Sigdel, B., Hye, A. M., Bhandari, S., & Bhattarai, A. (2024). Fostering Women Entrepreneurs: Psychological Capital, Psychological Empowerment and Entrepreneurial Spirit. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 1-2, 1-18.
[6] Cardella, G., Hernández-Sánchez, B., & Sánchez-García, J. (2020). Women Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review to Outline the Boundaries of Scientific Literature. Frontiers in psychology,11.
[7] Chatterjee, S., Gupta, S., & Upadhyay, P. (2020). Technology adoption and entrepreneurial orientation for rural women: Evidence from India. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 160, 120236.
[8] Chordiya, K. D. (2013). Problems faced by women entrepreneurs in rural area. IBMRD's Journal of Management & Research, 2(1), 389-396.
[9] Domazet, I., & Marjanović, D. (2024). Digital Progress and Information Society: Evidence from EU Countries and Serbia. In Driving Decentralization and Disruption with Digital Technologies (pp. 1-20). IGI Global.
[10] Domazet, I., Marjanović, D., Ahmetagić, D., & Antonijević, M. (2022). Does the Increase in the Number of Registered Patents Affect Economic Growth - Evidence from Romania and Bulgaria. Economic Analysis, 55(2), 49-65.
[11] Domazet, I., Marjanović, D., Ahmetagić, D., & Bugarčić, M. (2021). The impact of innovation indicators on increasing exports of high technology products. Ekonomika preduzeća, 69(1-2), 31-40.
[12] Domazet, I., Marjanović, D. & Stošić, I. (2018). Attractiveness of the domicile economy through tax incentives. Ekonomika preduzeća, 434-445.
[13] Efendi, R., Mulyadi, H., Disman, D., Purnamasari, I., & Tantri, P. A. (2024). The Role of Gender in Fostering Interest in Entrepreneurship in Indonesia. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 1-2, 141-156.
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[15] Haque, A., & Zulfiqar, M. (2016). Women’s Economic Empowerment through Financial literacy, Financial Attitude and Financial Wellbeing. International Journal of Business and social science, 7(3), 78-88.
[16] Ivanović, Dj., Simović, V., Domazet, I., Antonijević, M. (2021). Average Matching Levels for Two DigComp Competence Areas of the Female Entrepreneurs in Serbia. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 3-4, 42-60.
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[18] Jovanović, O., & Lazić, M. (2018). Women entrepreneurship in Serbia: Potentials and constraints. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education: twice a Year Scientific Journal, 3/4, 60-72.
[19] Kabeer, N. (2018). Gender, livelihood capabilities and women’s economic empowerment: Reviewing evidence over the life course. Global Evidence (GAGE), London, UK.
[20] Kanyagui, M. K. et al. (2024). Livelihood challenges faced by women in rural India: exploration of solutions using participatory action research. Development in Practice, 34(4), 512-526.
[21] Khatun, Y., & Ghosh, S. (2021). Barriers of financial access to utilization of health care services to women in rural areas of west Bengal, India: an analysis of a sample survey. Journal of Global Resources, 7(1), 110-116.
[22] Kolin, M. & Čičkarić, L. (2010). Rodne nejednakosti u zapošljavanju, upravljanju i odlučivanju. Stanovnistvo, 48(1), 103-124.
[23] Laxmi, S. S., & Gochhait, S. (2023). Factors Influencing the Success of Women Entrepreneurs in the International Market: A Comprehensive Analysis. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 146-165.
[24] Majeed, A., Fathallah, Z., Jassim, H., Turki, M., & Abbas, S. (2024). Study the impact of entrepreneurship and innovation in the labor market on activating poverty reduction strategies. International journal of business and management sciences, 4(4), 32-50.
[25] Mandal, K. C. (2013). Concept and Types of Women Empowerments. International Forum of Teaching & Studies, 9(2), 17-30.
[26] Mandara, C., Niehof, A., & Horst, H. (2017). Women and rural water management: Token representatives or paving the way to power? Water alternatives, 10 (1), 116-133.
[27] Marjanović, D., Domazet, I., Vukmirović, V. (2024). Legal environment as a factor in the inflow of foreign direct investment: Case of Serbia. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research, 11(3), 478–492.
[28] Marjanović, D., Domazet, I., Vukmirović, V. (2022). Social Environment as a Factor of Capital Investment in Serbia. Eastern European Economics, 60(3), 247-264.
[29] Marjanović, D., & Đukić, M. (2020). Western Balkan countries as an attractive investment destination. Economic Analysis, 53(2), 109-120.
[30] McGowan, P., Redeker, C. L., Cooper, S. Y., & Greenan, K. (2012). Female entrepreneurship and the management of business and domestic roles: Motivations, expectations and realities. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 24(1-2), 53-72.
[31] Mishra, S., Vais, S., Prakash, V., & Chauhan, B.S. (2017). Constraints perceived by gender regarding participation in rural development, 7(2), 6-9.
[32] Nordbø, I. (2022). Female entrepreneurs and path-dependency in rural tourism. Journal of Rural Studies, 96, 198-206.
[33] Popović-Pantić, S. (2014). Žensko preduzetništvo u Srbiji: Evolucija od socijalne ka ekonomskoj kategoriji. Poslovna ekonomija, 8(2), 143-162.
[34] Popović-Pantić, S. (2020). Dve decenije ženskog preduzetništva u Srbiji. Institut Mihajlo Pupin-Centar za istraživanje razvoja nauke i tehnologije, Beograd.
[35] Radović-Marković, M., & Achakpa, P. (2018). Employment women through entrepreneurship development and education in developing countries. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 1-2, 17-30.
[36] Radović, G., & Radović-Marković, M. (2016). Significance of rural tourism for female entrepreneurship development in the Republic of Serbia. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 3-4, 3-19.
[37] Raghuvanshi, J., Agrawal, R., & Ghosh, P. (2017). Analysis of Barriers to Women Entrepreneurship: The DEMATEL Approach. The Journal of Entrepreneurship, 26(2), 220 - 238.
[38] Ramírez, D. (2023). Hermeneusis on entrepreneurship and rural development. SCT Proceedings in Interdisciplinary Insights and Innovations, 1, 122.
[39] Reva, A. (2012). Gender Inequality in the Labor Market in Serbia. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, 6008.
[40] Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2017). Small business and entrepreneurship: their role in economic and social development. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 29(1-2), 1-3.
[41] Serbian Business Registers Agency (SBRA). https://www.apr.gov.rs/home.1435.html
[42] Shafinaj, M. (2024). Political participation of rural women in Bangladesh and its impact on society. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies, 10(1).
[43] Sharma, V., Maheshkar, C., Poulose, J., Kapse, M., Mahajan, Y., (2023). Women Entrepreneurs: A Study of Psychological Well-being and Empowerment in Indian Social Context. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 1-2, 95-121.
[44] Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (2023). Statistical Yearbook. Belgrade, available at: https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2023/Pdf/G20232056.pdf
[45] Sugawara, M., Aizawa, H., & Arima, Y. (2010). Family Partnerships and Community Support for Child Rearing and Farming in Rural Area. Journal of Rural Planning Association, 28, 195-200.
[46] Tejada, C. A. B., & Camino, J. R. (2024). Psychological Capital and Work Stress Mediated by Authentic Leadership and Moderated by Gender. Journal of Women's Entrepreneurship and Education, 1-2, 177-206.
[47] The International Labour Organization (2019). Empowering Women in the Rural Economy, available at: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/economic-and-social-development/rural-development/WCMS_436223/lang--en/index.htm).
[48] Tur-Porcar, A., Mas-Tur, A., & Belso, J. (2016). Barriers to women entrepreneurship. Different methods, different results? Quality & Quantity, 51, 2019-2034.
[49] Vujadinović, J. (2024). Women's empowerment through the development of women's entrepreneurship in the Republic of Serbia: a multivariate analysis. International Scientific Conference "Challenges of Modern Economy and Society through the Prism of Green Economy and Sustainable Development". Faculty of Economics and Engineering Management – FIMEK: Educational and Business Center for Development of Human Resources, Management and Sustainable Development, Novi Sad, pp. 253-265.