Accidental opportunities? Women in family businesses taking the lead in a new market economy

Abstract

Social workers have been working to empower women of diverse backgrounds across several practice settings. However, for women entrepreneurs in Ghana generally and those in family businesses specifically, some socio-cultural factors have persisted to hinder their abilities to promote and sustain their businesses. This paper describes the ways in which women in family businesses in Accra, Ghana have identified and leveraged opportunities presented by structural, cultural, socio-economic, and technological changes to ensure the success of their businesses. The study employed a qualitative research approach with purposive and snowball sampling used to identify and interview 15 women in family businesses. Findings indicate that women in family businesses in Accra, Ghana have creatively made use of the changing socio-cultural and economic landscape of the country to promote their businesses through three main trends which are significant in business growth: the advent and increasing use of social media, innovative business practices, and weakening patriarchy. We recommend that social workers apprise themselves of contexts which have unequal consequences for women and mobilize around these changes to help women entrepreneurs to take full advantage of the opportunities that are being offered in Ghana’s emerging economy.