女性經濟賦權：微型創業經驗之研究

Abstract

近年來女性經濟賦權已成為各國際經濟組織關注的議題，亞太經濟合作會議（APEC）提倡女性企業家精神、公私協力促進女性經濟力，鼓勵所有經濟體應採取措施，支持婦女創業並協助克服創業障礙，透過建置婦女企業資訊交流平台、輔導婦女創業、協助財務融通等創業相關協助措施，建構平等友善創業環境，激發女性創業動力，協助女性投入勞動市場，促進經濟參與。 本文以女性創業之資源理論架構為基礎，透過質性研究訪談八名女性微型創業者，希冀理解女性微型創業之動機、資源運用、社會支持網絡及創業過程面臨的困境與挑戰，與創業調查結果相互驗證，並藉由女性微型創業者經驗分享，來檢視與回饋女性經濟賦權之實踐。創業是女性運用各項資源來改善與提升經濟力的過程，可視為是經濟賦權所展現的結果。 本研究發現女性創業仍鑲嵌於家庭、社會文化與勞動市場結構中，創業成為中高齡女性職涯發展與勞動參與的另一種選擇，女性透過創業來成就理想與實現自我。並以此有別以往之研究發現提出建議，作為後續研究及政府部門適時調整女性創業輔導與協助措施，以及因應高齡社會，鼓勵女性創業及發展中高齡女性人力資源政策之參考。

Women’s economic empowerment has become an issue of concern and advocacy for various international economic organizations in recent years. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) actively promotes women's entrepreneurship and emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships in advancing women's economic participation. APEC encourages all member economies to implement measures that support female entrepreneurs and assist in overcoming barriers to starting businesses. These measures include the establishment of information-sharing platforms for women-led enterprises, the provision of entrepreneurial counseling, and facilitating access to financial resources. Such initiatives aim to create an equitable and supportive entrepreneurial environment, stimulate women's motivation to engage in entrepreneurship, and enhance their participation in the labor market, thereby contributing to broader economic development. This study is grounded in the resource-based theoretical framework of women's entrepreneurship. Through qualitative research, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight female micro-entrepreneurs to explore their entrepreneurial motivations, resource utilization, social support networks, as well as the challenges and obstacles encountered throughout the entrepreneurial process. The findings are compared with existing entrepreneurial survey data to provide validation and contrast. By drawing upon the lived experiences and narratives of these female micro-entrepreneurs, the study seeks to reflect on and evaluate the practical implementation of women's economic empowerment. Entrepreneurship, in this context, is viewed as a process through which women mobilize various resources to enhance and improve their economic status, thereby serving as a manifestation of economic empowerment. The findings of this study reveal that women's entrepreneurship remains deeply embedded within familial obligations, socio-cultural norms, and the structural dynamics of the labor market. For middle-aged and older women, entrepreneurship has emerged as an alternative pathway for career development and labor force participation, serving as a means to pursue personal ideals and achieve self-realization. Based on these insights which diverge from those of previous studies this research offers practical recommendations for future academic inquiry and for government agencies. These suggestions aim to inform the timely revision of policies and support measures related to women's entrepreneurship. Furthermore, they may serve as a reference for the formulation of strategies that address the challenges of an aged society by encouraging female entrepreneurship and optimizing the development of middle-aged and older female human resources.