Young female entrepreneurs in Uganda: Handicraft production as a livelihood strategy

This chapter looks in detail at the role of young female entrepreneurs in the handicraft industry, and examines why young women choose to enter the sector and the capitals on which they draw in operating their enterprises. Handicraft production by young women in western Uganda is typically based on both informally and formally learned skills and makes use of locally available and/or purchased raw materials. Production is home-based and requires little financial capital input, making it an important entry point into the economy for young women with limited employment alternatives and little formal education. Social capital is a highly debated concept but it is generally considered to constitute access to resources through social networks and social relations. Drawing on the livelihoods framework, the young women were asked about resource availability in terms of human capital, natural capital, financial capital, social capital, and physical capital, as well as general information on the type and characteristics of the enterprise.