Représentations sociales de genre et entrepreneuriat féminin à Bangui- république centrafricaine : opportunités, pesanteurs et processus d’intégration

Abstract

. All this allowed us to reach the following conclusion: although several Central African women participate in the creation of businesses, particularly in the formal and informal sector, in the collective imagination of the Central African Republic, women still do essentially from the category from the “inside” and man from that of the “outside”. Depending on whether perceptions and attitudes evolve or resist the change in roles of women (and implicitly men), the consequences of empowerment oscillate between Our research is titled: “Social representations of gender and female entrepreneurship in the Central African Republic: opportunities, constraints and integration processes”. It aims to understand in order to explain the social representations of gender which influence the development of female entrepreneurship in the Central African Republic. To do this, our work was essentially built on the question of knowing, how do social representations of gender influence the development of female entrepreneurship in the Central African Republic? To answer this, the central hypothesis is that social representations of gender are determining in the development of female entrepreneurship in the Central African Republic. As for the methodology applied, it is structured on the one hand around qualitative investigation instruments focused on documentary research, interviews and quantitative (the questionnaire) and, on the other hand, on two theories of analysis namely: the structural theory of social representations and the theory of economic liberalism. The data transmitted to the field was processed using content analysis and statistical analysis stigmatization or even rejection of women entrepreneurs by husbands and/or community members, and at the opposite extreme, the strengthening of the image and influence of the latter. Indeed, some close friends of women entrepreneurs express their real opposition to their projects. This opposition is in reality the manifestation of the fear of seeing women go off the beaten track of the roles and statuses that socio- cultural universes grant to women, even if the latter will, through her work, contribute to guaranteeing and securing the responsible for basic vital needs. The fear of being negatively perceived by the community can constitute a major obstacle to women's economic empowerment. However, once the stigmatization stage has passed, women active in the market or the community are generally accepted or even valued more than they are marginalized. The main reason is linked to the benefits that families, particularly men, and communities can derive from women's income-generating activities. The relationship between entrepreneurship and women remains deeply perceived and framed as relevant to an African “myth”, although a slow evolution is still observed. In reality, in addition to empowering women and creating conditions conducive to their development, female entrepreneurship contributes to changing current mentalities and practices regarding women. Some community members, relatives and spouses are increasingly supporting women entrepreneurs in their projects. Moreover, the motivational factors of the female subject-entrepreneur in carrying out activities and projects oscillate between the need and desire for empowerment, self-care and the possibility of opportunity offered by programs and projects to generate entrepreneurial potential.