Gender Dynamics in Entrepreneurship Among Women and Men Grocery Sellers: A Case Study of OAU Campus Central Market, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Abstract

The study examines the gender aspects of entrepreneurship among the small-scale grocery sellers at the Obafemi Awolowo University Campus Central Market, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. In-depth interviews were held using qualitative methods, where ten entrepreneurs (five men and five women) were interviewed, and the data were analyzed using Atlas.Ti. The study examines motivations, barriers, and coping mechanisms, and specifically the differences in the experiences of men and women. The findings of the study show that men and women are attracted to grocery entrepreneurship by facilitating factors like family support, ease of entry, and the likelihood of immediate profit. However, women experience different obstacles, such as greater obstacles to formal credit, socio-cultural pressures, and gender biases, which complicate their preparation to merge business and household life. Men, however, tend to have broader access to financial and social resources but must face regulatory issues and some discrimination in the shape of slight acts of consumer bias. In both categories, Informal savings plans, cooperative
lending, and community networks were also used as survival strategies. The study highlights how entrepreneurship in the Nigerian informal sector has been influenced by not only the economic factors but also cultural and institutional pressures. It concludes that to facilitate equity and enhance the sustainability of local enterprise, inclusive financial efforts, supportive policies, and institutional reforms are needed.