Study of Gender Dimensions of Entrepreneurship Among Women in Anambra State

Women's entrepreneurship in Nigeria's South East zone is characterised by both resilience and structural constraint, shaped by access to finance, social networks, regulatory barriers, and gender norms around business leadership. This study examines the gender dimensions of female entrepreneurship in Anambra State, focusing on women-owned small and medium enterprises in Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with 110 female entrepreneurs and 20 business support organisation officers completing structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and chi-square tests. Findings reveal that access to formal credit is the most cited constraint for female entrepreneurs, with 71% of respondents relying on informal rotating savings associations (Isusu) as their primary funding mechanism. Gender discrimination by bank loan officers, inadequate collateral, and limited business formalisation are identified as the barriers to formal finance access. Social network limitations, driven by exclusion from male-dominated trade associations, reduce market access and information asymmetries. Female entrepreneurs who benefit from mentoring programmes report significantly higher revenue growth and business formalisation rates. Recommendations include gender-sensitive SME support policies, female entrepreneurship development programmes, and encouragement of women's business associations as advocacy platforms. Keywords: female entrepreneurship, Anambra State, gender, access to finance, SMEs