Bridging the Entrepreneurial Opportunity Gap for Women With Disabilities in a Globalized World

Introduction

Entrepreneurship should be prioritized because of the social value it brings to bear within the socio-economic ecosystem in a world that calls for the inclusion of persons with disabilities within the generic framework of the society. This paradigm shift could be made possible by leveraging the platform of entrepreneurship for this population, especially for women with disabilities. Entrepreneurial education for women with disabilities will foster global citizenship through effective participation, engagement and contributions of this population that are susceptible to social and economic exclusion. Therefore, when women with disabilities get involved in concerted entrepreneurial ventures in the labor market, the proliferating consequence of this value is explicitly overwhelming in community, in general, and in the collective of women with disabilities. Entrepreneurial engagement of this vulnerable group is often precursor to independence in all its ramifications, social security and societal placement and participation in the decision-making processes. Although, as appealing as these reasons might be, in terms of influence on women with disabilities to venturing into entrepreneurship, they are noted also to be likely motivated by different factors. One of such alluded to is the benefits that self-employment leverages in the entry into the labor market as employer discrimination is frequently reported (Blanck et al., 2000; Boylan & Burchardt, 2002; Hagner & Davis, 2002; EMDA, 2009).

The socioeconomic outputs of individuals are severely impacted by the prevalence of any form of disability, and more significantly the labor market participation. People with disabilities, and even more, women with disabilities, face many barriers in the labor market and disability is consistently found to have a negative effect on labor market outcomes, including employment rates and earnings (Jones, 2008; Berthoud, 2008; Meager and Higgins, 2011; Lechner and Vazquez-Alvarez, 2011). Research abounds in this dimension of effect of disabilities: for instance, the variations in disability (i.e., type, severity, quantity) influence labor market participation rates, types of occupation and earnings (Jones, 2008, 2011; Berthoud, 2008; Meager and Higgins, 2011). Additionally, according to Berthoud (2008), Meager & Higgins, (2011), physical impairments exert a substantial negative impact on employment prospects, as well as mental health challenges and learning difficulties. Same Meager & Higgins (2011) reiterate that employer discrimination is a strong influence on the supply of jobs for disabled people, although employer perceptions about individuals’ capacity to work may diverge considerably from their actual capacity to work.

The risk of poverty, according to Hauben et al., (2012), in the EU, for instance, is significantly higher for disabled people than for people without disabilities – 21.1% of disabled people face that risk, compared to 14.9% of people without disabilities. The main reason for this disparity can be found in the low employment rates of disabled people, which are a cause for and/or a consequence of their social exclusion (Greve, 2009; Hauben et al., 2012). If this data is anything to go by, much will be desire about the data of women with disabilities from these same climes and not to even mention from developing countries. Worth acknowledging is the fact that most countries, especially developing countries, have taken a strong position to support the active involvement of people with disabilities in society and the economy; hence, the claim of this chapter is that entrepreneurship provides the leeway for this engagement in society and economy to create a smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth, especially for women with disabilities.