Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Social enterprises present themselves as viable instruments to alleviate poverty and engage marginalized women in the development process. In the Philippines where 89% of businesses are comprised of microenterprises and women account for 30% of the total population’s underemployed, there is a potential for improving the earning capacity of women especially coming from vulnerable groups through social enterprises. This study addresses the questions: How do social enterprises empower women micro-entrepreneurs from poorer sectors of Philippine society? What value networks are created which enhance the co-creation and partnership of women micro-entrepreneurs in the respective social enterprises they are involved in? By examining cases of 10 women micro-entrepreneurs working in social enterprises set up through Gawad Kalinga, a non-government intermediary organization, the factors that lead to the transformation and empowerment of these women micro-entrepreneurs are identified. The importance of soft skills training combined with the important role of networks are noted as indicators for the increased economic contribution of Filipina micro-entrepreneurs not only to their families but to the community at large.