(Report in English only)
Overview
This report was developed under CARE IGNITE program to examine how social expectations and cultural norms shape the experiences of women who own micro and small enterprises in Vietnam. Conducted in 2021, the study was supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and surveyed 1,449 business owners across seven provinces in the country.
The goal of this study is to identify the specific social and structural barriers that are affecting the growth of women-owned businesses.
The analysis will cover the following areas:
- Unequal burden of unpaid care: The disproportionate amount of time women spend on caregiving and domestic work.
- Confidence undermined by social norms: How societal expectations and norms affect women’s self-belief.
- Unconscious bias in business decisions: The hidden biases that influence key business decisions, such as securing funding or partnerships.
- Subtle stereotypes about women’s business competence: The underlying prejudices and assumptions about women’s abilities as business leaders.
By using mixed research methods, including structured surveys and social norms analysis, the report offers a detailed understanding of how socio-cultural attitudes constrain women entrepreneurs. While some progress has been made in business participation, deep-rooted norms continue to limit their full economic potential, particularly in leadership and strategic decision-making. The findings underscore the need for programs and policies that not only expand access to finance and markets but also actively address the expectations that continue to shape how women engage in business.
Key findings
- Unequal burden of unpaid care responsibilities:
Among entrepreneurs with school-aged children, 32.6% of women identified themselves as the primary caregivers, compared to only 5.7% of men. This significantly limits the time and flexibility of women entrepreneurs to invest in business growth.
- Self-perception and confidence gaps:
Many women entrepreneurs report lower confidence in their business knowledge and experience. Only 19.8% of women identified themselves as the primary income earners in their households, compared to 76.4% of men – even when women’s businesses contributed substantially to household income.
- Social norms shaping definitions of business success:
While both men and women defined success using similar business indicators (e.g., profit, growth, quality), women placed stronger emphasis on creating supportive workplaces and long-term job security for their staff, indicating a broader social role in their approach to entrepreneurship.
- Challenges tied to social expectations:
The top three challenges reported by women entrepreneurs – burden of unpaid care, unfavorable business culture (e.g. informal agreements, male-dominated networking practices), and restricted mobility are closely associated with social norms around women’s roles and capacities. These norms also contribute to limited access to networks, skills development, and business planning resources.
To better understand social norms and barriers faced by female entrepreneurs, we have conducted research with 1,449 owners of micro & small business entities in 7 provinces in Vietnam to dissect:
- the disproportionate burden of domestic care;
- confidence gaps related to disparity faced by women compared to men;
- unconscious bias in business-related decision-making; and
- hidden norms related to women’s business capacities.