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This study investigates the reasons that motivate Albanian women to become and work as entrepreneurs along with the constraints they face when starting and developing their business activity. In this context, theoretical arguments and empirical findings are investigated in order to draw a picture of the factors that motivate women to start their own business, as well as factors that limit the growth and development of women entrepreneurship in transitional countries like Albania. The study highlights the need of having a better knowledge on women entrepreneurship, a greater awareness of its importance, and for all stakeholders in the development field to seriously address this issue so that the economic potential of women entrepreneurship can be fully utilized.

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Born in Tirana, Albania; MSc on Comparative Local Development at the University of Trento, Italy; MSc in Political Sciences, IRERIE, Paris. Employed at USAID administered MCC Albania Threshold Program by Chemonics International. Worked as Project Coordinator at CARDS-VET Albania, and as Political assistant at the EU Monitoring Mission, Tirana.

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