African immigrant women's entrepreneurships in Canada as pathway for alleviating poverty: Challenges, conflicts and successes

Immigrant entrepreneurship has become part of the economic landscape in Canada and has received recognition from immigration advocates and immigrant-serving community-based organizations as contributing to poverty alleviation among immigrant groups. Ethnic enterprises are providing a large number of immigrants with much-needed income and access to ethnic products thereby contributing to their integration into the Canadian fabric. Nonetheless, the fact remains that immigrant entrepreneurships vary by race, ethnicity, gender and size and are costly and risky to run without social and economic capital.  While a number of studies (Hier & Singh 2007, Leys 2006, Galabuzi 2006, Berger et al. 2005, Kloosterman and Rath 2003, Li 2001, 1992) have focused on the ethnicity dimension of enterprises, the gender dimension of entrepreneurship involving immigrant women and specifically African immigrant women’s entrepreneurial role in Canada has received limited attention. This paper aims to fill part of this existing gap in literature through an analysis of the findings of my 2010/2011 study of African women’s enterprises in two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan). The study explored the experiences of African immigrant women entrepreneurs who run small- scale businesses both out of their homes and in spaces outside their homes.  Specifically, factors informing the growth of the small-scale enterprises, challenges facing the women in running their businesses and the transnational dimensions of the enterprises were explored.  An intersectionality of race, class and gender framework was employed in analyzing the study’s findings which identified cultural identity, discrimination and lack of economic and social capital as major factors constituting challenges to immigrant women entrepreneurs with major implications for success or failure. These factors are worth exploring for amelioration through policies and intervention strategies.