Constraints and Enablers to the Growth of Female Owned Business in Tanzania

This paper aims to identify the major constraints and enablers to the growth of female owned business in Tanzania. It offers a framework to differentiate between the constraints faced by male entrepreneurship and female entrepreneurship. The paper engages in an exhaustive literature review and uses a qualitative methodology to categorize and rank entrepreneurial constraints facing female owned business in Tanzania. The findings show that women entrepreneurs in Tanzania face several critical constraints arising from gender discrimination, work-family balance, lack of basic financial resources, improper business infrastructure, and personality differences. This paper offers a broad overview on the constraints faced by women entrepreneurs in Tanzania and it further, suggests some potential enablers towards female owned business. The paper therefore, tries to bridge the gap between men entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs in Tanzania. Hence, it gives a direction to policy makers in creating a more favourable environment for the success of female owned business in Tanzania.