The process of rural women entrepreneurship in Lithuania

Background: As in the most of the EU countries the rural economy in Lithuania is dominated by the SME‘s, which make more than 99 percent of all enterprises. In 2014 there were working more than 12 thousands of SME‘s in the rural areas, 80 percent of these enterprises had less than 10 employees. The share of SME‘s in rural areas was about 16 percent of all SME‘s in 2014. There were 12,6 SME‘s per 1000 inhabitants of rural areas. After the economic crisis there can be noticed the growth of SME‘s in the rural areas. In the period of 2010–2014 the number of SME‘s in rural areas increased by 20 percent. The main factors that limit development of SME‘s are insufficient internal market and low purchasing power of consumers, as well as the shortage of skilled workforce. The unemployment level of women in the rural areas was 14,8 percent in 2013. Women constitute the bigger share of population emigrating from the rural areas. The family life obligations tend to limit possibilities of the women in the rural areas to seek for professional career and development of business. Comparatively low level of education of women in the rural areas also limits the effectiveness of the different public measures for the development of entrepreneurship of women. The complex of demographic, economic and social problems of the rural areas significantly deteriorate the social situation of women, as well as the health conditions, what increases the risk of social separation and degradation. Insufficient social infrastructure in the rural areas (rather poor transport network, closure of the educational and healthcare providers, etc.) makes the execution of family obligations more difficult and challenging what reduces the incentives of young women to remain in the rural areas and to establish there their work or career. It makes development of female entrepreneurship in the rural areas a highly challenging task. [...]Edukologijos tyrimų institutasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta