Economic Empowerment of Malaysian Women through Entrepreneurship: Barriers and Enablers

The main aim of this study is to identify the barriers and enablers to Malaysian women’s entrepreneurship. A mixed method was used in this study. A qualitative approach using Delphi technique was used to obtain consensus on the barriers and enablers. This was incorporated into a questionnaire which was used in the survey of women entrepreneurs to obtain quantitative data on the barriers and enablers to women’s entrepreneurship. The respondents were 130 participants of a seminar for women entrepreneurs conducted by the Women’s Development Department of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community. The study found that the three top barriers were the lack of KSAOs followed by restrictive legalities, regulations and procedures and lack of business support and network. Personality and self-efficacy emerged as the most important enabler followed by support for businesses from government and women focused initiatives from government and NGOs.