The factors encouraging women to be enterpreneurs: An application in Gaziantep

Enterpreneurship has become one of the most important indicators of development from economic and social perspectives in both Turkey and other countries. In the history, not only men but also women have been viewed as entrepreneurs due to the contribution of their labours to development of economy and society particularly since 1980s. Owing to the fact that female entrepreneurs have become research topic, factors influencing womens? entrepreneurship has become a current issue. Research has shown that participation rates of entrepreneurship have risen up as a result of an increase in womens? education level and their needs for economical independency and their awaresness to economy. Consequently, it has been appeared that women have inclined to take place in the entrepreneurial actions and run their own businesses as a reason of seizing power, need for independency, demand to show their knowledge and competencies in order to become strong and promote while they has gained more education.In this study, after making research in the literature in the field of women entrepreneurship, it has been conducted qualititative research in order to investigate the factors affecting tendency towards enterpreneurship of 12 women entrepreneurs in the city of Gaziantep. As a result of the case study, the factors encouraging women to be enterpreneurs has been determined as divorce, financial difficulties, husband?s death, independency, need for being engaged, interests, ambition, assesment of opportunities, a luxurious life, need for obtaining status and prestiges, self-actualization, money, need for creating employment and investment, reaching job saticfaction, education and family oriented effects.Keywords: Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Woman Entrepreneurship, Push Factors, Pull Factors.