Small and Medium Enterprise for Women Entrepreneurs in Taiwan

Women represent about 40% of the total labor force in Taiwan. The majority of women employment is concentrated in manufacturing and service sector such as commerce and social or personal community work. Small and medium enterprises in Taiwan accounted for 97.8% of the total enterprises and employed about 78% of the total work force. Small and medium enterprises have played a crucial role in economic development of Taiwan. There is also lack of sufficient research on women’s role in small and medium enterprise development on women entrepreneurs. Women owned small and medium enterprises in Taiwan are on a small scale were 81.6% women employers employ 2-9 persons and 13.2% employ 10-29 persons. This paper proves that almost many women employers as their male counterparts owned larger firms that employ up to 200-499 persons, suggesting that women entrepreneur are capable as men running a business. From findings also suggests that women in middle ages, between mid-30s and mid-40s, are more likely to set up their own businesses. In conclusion, with resounding economic policies at macro and micro would create a room for financial institutions to give loans to women entrepreneurs to invest in small and medium enterprises for healthy economic growth.