Women Entrepreneurs in Kenya‘s Small Scale Enterprises: a demographic Perspective

Abstract

This study addresses demographic characteristics of women entrepreneurs hypothesized to influence performance of Small Scale Enterprises (SSEs) owned and or managed by women. The study sought to establish if certain demographic factors influence performance of the SSEs managed and or owned by women in Kenya.  The selected population consisted of   a stratified random sample based on four industries of small scale enterprises owned and or managed by women in the city council wards in Nairobi which are: Retailing Education Food Industry and Personal and Professional Services The scope of study targeted 384 women owners and or managers from the four sectors. The response rate was 92%. Data was generated through the use of questionnaires and interviews. The data collected was analyzed by use of descriptive statistical tools, inferential statistical. The findings showed that some variables in the hypothesized model had a correlation to performance namely: Ethnicity, Educational level and Age. However, the mix of all the demographic characteristics was insignificant.

Key Terms: Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), Millennium development goals, Women,

Demographic Characteristics, Performance.