Female entrepreneurship in rural Vietnam: an exploratory study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of governmental support policies and socio-cultural influences on female entrepreneurship in rural Vietnam. As such, the study addresses an important literature gap concerning female entrepreneurship within rural communities in South East Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with six female entrepreneurs and six female non-entrepreneurs in northern Vietnam to examine the influence of various environmental factors on female entrepreneurship in a rural setting.

Findings

The results suggest that government pro-entrepreneurship policies, together with private sector interventions, have had an impact on rural Vietnam. Yet females in rural and remote Vietnam are still constrained by societal prejudices, financial limitations, and limited entrepreneurship educational opportunities.

Originality/value

The paper's originality lies in its review of the circumstances confronting women in rural Vietnam and its findings concerning the impact of environmental factors on female entrepreneurship in this setting.

Citation

Nguyen, C., Frederick, H. and Nguyen, H. (2014), "Female entrepreneurship in rural Vietnam: an exploratory study", International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 50-67. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-04-2013-0034