Abstract:
Social workers have been working to empower women of diverse backgrounds
across several practice settings. However, for women entrepreneurs in Ghana generally
and those in family businesses specifically, some socio-cultural factors have persisted to
hinder their abilities to promote and sustain their businesses. This paper describes the
ways in which women in family businesses in Accra, Ghana have identified and leveraged
opportunities presented by structural, cultural, socio-economic, and technological
changes to ensure the success of their businesses. The study employed a qualitative
research approach with purposive and snowball sampling used to identify and interview
15 women in family businesses. Findings indicate that women in family businesses in
Accra, Ghana have creatively made use of the changing socio-cultural and economic
landscape of the country to promote their businesses through three main trends which are
significant in business growth: the advent and increasing use of social media, innovative
business practices, and weakening patriarchy. We recommend that social workers apprise
themselves of contexts which have unequal consequences for women and mobilize around
these changes to help women entrepreneurs to take full advantage of the opportunities that
are being offered in Ghana’s emerging economy.
