Training for business start-up in Scotland — the gender dimension

This paper looks at two examples of business start-up training in Scotland which have specifically targeted women, both younger women entering the labour market for the first time and older women who are either unemployed or returning to the labour market after raising a family. We argue that women face a double disadvantage in trying to start up and run their own business. Traditionally women have not been seen as business owners and are under represented in the small business sector. Secondly women perform a dual role in that they are almost always responsible for domestic and family concerns, whether they are economically active or not. We recognise that “gender constraints” exist and discuss the training programmes we have developed which in their style, content and timing set out to meet the special needs of women contemplating self employment.