Sociocultural Context and Female Entrepreneurship in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Based on the observation of facts and events that exist independently of the researcher, this communication consists in explaining the low rate of business creation by women through the socio-cultural realities specific to the city of Lubumbashi, basic realities, firstly. inequalities between men and women, which result from the differences in socialization between the two sexes observed in society and, secondly, the result of a social construction initiated, legitimized and perpetuated by means of culture. The existence of differences in socialization between the two sexes vis-?-vis social production plays an important role in the emergence of entrepreneurial intentions underlying the creation of businesses within a population. The present research attempts to identify the socio-cultural determinants of the obstacle to the creation of businesses by women in Lubumbashi, and the key variables retained are the business networks modeled on the purely male model, the lack of support from those around them. for potential women entrepreneurs, the absence of a model of women entrepreneurs, tribal and customary values, but also traditional norms and practices to the detriment of the entrepreneurship of women entrepreneurs. Only one feminist theory has served us to formulate our research hypotheses, namely; Greer and Greene's theory of radical feminism (2003). This theory allowed us to understand the possible links between the socio-cultural environment through the variables noted above and the low rate of business creation by women. After analysis, the results showed that three variables out of the five selected are the determinants of the low rate of business creation by women in Lubumbashi. These are networks of purely masculine attitudes, tribal and customary values, and traditional norms and practices. The two other variables in particular, support from those around them and the lacks of role models for women entrepreneurs have no effect. Far from our intention of wanting to generalize, the present study has nevertheless enabled the analysis of the relationship between the concepts socio-cultural environment and the creation of businesses by women in the context of the city of Lubumbashi, studies that can be carried out as far as 'now.