Abstract
Background: In the Kingdom of eSwatini, women are predominantly perceived in their traditional role as caregivers. This societal perspective assigns women the majority of caregiving responsibilities and, coupled with the high national unemployment rate, it is particularly difficult for Swati women to secure formal work. Consequently, some women turn to the informal sector to earn a living and support their children and households.
Aim: Against the backdrop of widespread recognition of the importance of women’s empowerment for catalysing development and mixed views on the informal sector, this research investigated how informal, small-scale entrepreneurship by low-income women in the Kingdom of eSwatini influences the levels of empowerment among these women.
Method: The research employed a mixed methods approach with a convergent design to build a narrative around participants’ lived experiences and assess their individual and household empowerment. A quantitative rating scale provided supporting data for qualitative interviews that were conducted with 20 participants in the Hhohho region of the Kingdom of eSwatini. The study was guided by Kabeer’s (2001) empowerment theory and Nel’s (2015) integrated Sustainable Livelihoods/Asset-Based Community Development approach and data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings: Key findings from the study revealed that informal entrepreneurship had a positive influencing role on the levels of individual empowerment among participants across all three dimensions. Participants had increased individual access to and control over resources, demonstrated evidence of agency to varying degrees, and had experienced important individual achievements through their businesses. These individual resources, agency and achievements flowed into gains at the household level with participants’ informal entrepreneurship having created some of the necessary conditions for the empowerment process to take place at this level as well.
Conclusion: This research contributes valuable insights into the nuanced nature of informal entrepreneurship and emphasises the individual voices and stories of people in the informal sector. Furthermore, this study foregrounds an asset-based perspective of informal women entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of eSwatini as drivers of change and their capacity to contribute to positive socio-economic gains at individual, household, and community levels.
Key words: Informal sector, entrepreneurship, women, empowerment, resources, agency, achievements, Kingdom of eSwatini.