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Breaking the metal ceiling : female entrepreneurs who succeed in male-dominated sectors

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  • Campos,Francisco Moraes Leitao
  • Goldstein,Markus P.
  • Mcgorman,Laura
  • Munoz Boudet,Ana Maria
  • Pimhidzai,Obert

Abstract

A range of reasons is cited to explain gender differences in business performance in Africa. Within those, the sector of operations is consistently identified as a major issue. This paper uses a mixed methods approach to assess how women entrepreneurs in Uganda start (and strive) operating firms in male-dominated sectors, and what hinders other women from doing so. The study finds that women who cross over into male-dominated sectors make as much as men, and three times more than women who stay in female-dominated sectors. The paper examines a set of factors to explain the differences in sector choices, and finds that there is a problem of information about opportunities in male-dominated industries. The analysis also concludes that psychosocial factors, particularly the influence of male role models and exposure to the sector from family and friends, are critical in helping women circumvent or overcome the norms that undergird occupational segregation.

Suggested Citation

  • Campos,Francisco Moraes Leitao & Goldstein,Markus P. & Mcgorman,Laura & Munoz Boudet,Ana Maria & Pimhidzai,Obert, 2015. "Breaking the metal ceiling : female entrepreneurs who succeed in male-dominated sectors," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7503, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7503
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Mario Macis, 2017. "Gender differences in wages and leadership," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 323-323, January.
    2. Brixiová, Zuzana & Kangoye, Thierry & Said, Mona, 2020. "Training, human capital, and gender gaps in entrepreneurial performance," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 367-380.
    3. Ana Pueyo & Simon Bawakyillenuo & Marco Carreras, 2020. "Energy Use and Enterprise Performance in Ghana: How Does Gender Matter?," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(4), pages 1249-1287, September.
    4. Pueyo, Ana & Carreras, Marco & Ngoo, Gisela, 2020. "Exploring the linkages between energy, gender, and enterprise: Evidence from Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    5. Mohd Alsaleh & Muhammad Mansur Abdulwakil & Abdul Samad Abdul-Rahim, 2021. "Does Social Businesses Development Affect Bioenergy Industry Growth under the Pathway of Sustainable Development?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.
    6. Khurana, Indu & Tamvada, Jagannadha Pawan & Audretsch, David B., 2023. "The weaker sex? A tale of means and tails," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    7. Das,Smita & Delavallade,Clara Anne & Fashogbon,Ayodele Emmanuel & Ogunleye,Wale Olatunji & Papineni,Sreelakshmi, 2021. "Occupational Sex Segregation in Agriculture : Evidence on Gender Norms and Socio-Emotional Skills in Nigeria," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9695, The World Bank.
    8. Rachel Masika, 2017. "Mobile Phones and Entrepreneurial Identity Negotiation by Urban Female Street Traders in Uganda," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(6), pages 610-627, November.

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    Keywords

    E-Business; Gender and Health; Gender and Law; Access to Finance; Gender and Development;
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