Lack of Mentors May Hinder Women's Entrepreneurship in GCC; Women express entrepreneurial traits, but are less likely to own a business.

Byline: Fares Bugshan

Synopsis: While women in Gulf Cooperation Council countries are less likely than men to report owning or planning to start a business, they express similar levels of entrepreneurial traits and access to money and training as men.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Women in most Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are less likely than men to be business owners or have plans to start a business, but Gallup research suggests it is not because they lack the traits associated with entrepreneurs. Instead, it may be their lack of access to mentors.

The percentage of women in GCC countries who own or plan to start a business in the next 12 months is generally low across all countries surveyed, except in Qatar where women and men are the most likely to be entrepreneurs or have business plans. Interestingly, the gender gaps are larger among men and women who own businesses than among those who plan to start businesses -- possibly suggesting greater parity in the next wave of entrepreneurs.

The success of new businesses and their ability to create jobs partly hinges on the personality traits of the people who start them. Gallup surveys in 2011 show women in GCC countries are generally as likely as men to report being optimistic, profit-oriented, and persistent. Women in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, however, are less likely than men to report being persistent at 54% and 68%, respectively. The only trait associated with entrepreneurs that women are significantly less likely to exhibit than men in GCC countries -- except in Saudi Arabia -- is risk-taking

Women in GCC Countries Less Likely to Have Access to a Mentor

Beyond basic traits, access to advice, money, and training are important to realizing entrepreneurial ambitions.

Gallup research has established that adults who have access to a mentor are three times as likely to say they are planning to start a business as those who do not have one. Women in GCC countries are less likely than men to say they know someone who can give them advice on managing a business. The percentage of women with a connection to a business adviser is the highest in Qatar and the lowest in the UAE.

When it comes to money and training, the majorities of women and men in GCC countries do not have adequate access. Overall, less than half of the adult populations in the GCC countries surveyed report having access to money and training when they want to start a business.

Implications

Governments...

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