Immigrant women entrepreneurs in Grenoble : connecting entrepreneurial experiences to the intersections of gender and race

Résumé 0

Discourse on entrepreneurship has presented the development of entrepreneurial activities by women and immigrants as a process of othering by only looking at one axis of their identity. However, this thesis aims to examine how different axes of identity interact on multiple dimensions of social relationships and contribute to systematic social inequalities that female immigrant entrepreneurs face in Grenoble and consequently, in the French system. I demonstrate the two fields contributing to this gap in literature by looking at both immigrant and female entrepreneurship then presenting an intersectional view to these themes. Furthermore, this thesis looks at the situation of migration and entrepreneurship in France, providing a critique of Macron’s Start-Up Nation and giving context to the circumstances of the Global Pandemic, Covid-19. Using a qualitative approach and a thematic framework, I provide an intersectional examination of the entrepreneurial experiences of immigrant women entrepreneurs in Grenoble. The results have found eight major themes: first, the women are motivated to pursue entrepreneurial activities based on a complex interaction of push and pull factors; second, they must deal with the burdens of domestic and business responsibilities at the same time; third, they face discrimination in having foreign qualifications which is especially harder for racialized women; fourth, they lack formal support and assistance, hence, turning to their own networks; fifth, the financial support in light of Covid-19 has been insufficient and provides no real solutions; sixth, they face more domestic and care work in these times of Covid-19; seventh, even despite the circumstances, they demonstrate resilience and determination by being resourceful and finally, they believe engaging in entrepreneurial activities has brought them a sense of fulfilment and recognition as women and immigrants in France. These results, though generated from a small sample, provide important implications for policy makers, researchers and the broader community on how there is a need for a paradigm shift in how women who engage in entrepreneurship are perceived, that data should be made more available and support should be made more accessible for these women to have equal opportunities. Finally, further research and a larger sample size from more diverse backgrounds, not limited to the online or English-speaking community, is wellrecommended.