The weaker vessel. Survival tactics of women entrepreneurs in Ghana’s informal economy

Abstract

This article examines how informal women entrepreneurs in Ghana navigate structural constraints to build thriving businesses. Drawing on De Certeau’s concept of ‘Tactics as an Art of the Weak’, we explore how these entrepreneurs exercise agency in the institutionally and resource-constrained environment of Ghana. Using a qualitative approach to collect data, we identify two forms of tactics: tactical resistances, where women subtly or overtly challenge restrictive policies by avoiding, defying, or bypassing regulations, and tactical alternatives/workarounds, where they creatively work around constraints by leveraging informal support systems. Our findings contribute valuable insights to the discourse on how entrepreneurial agency is enacted by a group of entrepreneurs for whom the success of their businesses is their only hope of survival. We offer research and policy implications that are relevant for empowering marginalised entrepreneurs and promoting sustainable economic empowerment for women in similar contexts.