Women entrepreneurship working in a conflict region: the case of Palestine

Abstract

The main purpose of this research paper is to get deep insights about the nature and dynamics of women entrepreneurship in an Arab and conflict region with specific reference to Palestine. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used. The results show that Palestinian women have positive perceptions towards entrepreneurship as a career. Most women are driven by opportunity rather than necessity into business. Most enterprises started by women in Palestine are into consumer oriented business activities and the size of their enterprises are relatively small (three to ten employees). Culture constraints, lack of support services and access to finance are the main challenges women entrepreneurs face in Palestine. Understanding women entrepreneurs will assist decision makers in Palestine to address their issues through policies and support interventions to eliminate the barriers these enterprises are facing.