A qualitative research on the obstacles to women's entrepreneurship in the optics industry

The main focus of the study is to investigate the reasons for the obstacles experienced by entrepreneur women in the optical sector during and after entering the industry and to discuss the solution proposals for overcoming the challenges. Since the optics sector is primarily male-dominated, women opticians who want to start their own businesses are disadvantaged at many points. The qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis methods by conducting online focus group interviews with eight female opticians. In the research conducted in Turkey and the world, it has been determined that women entrepreneurs, who are more reluctant in terms of capital supply and risk management for entrepreneurship, have similar characteristics within the scope of the research. Women opticians, who are well-equipped with knowledge and experience, work with someone else for low wages or work in different sectors because their attempts fail and they do not want to risk their capital. This situation causes most of the founders of optical businesses to be men and women to remain more passive in this sector. However, it has been determined that women entrepreneurs who want dignity, financial freedom, and success in society are successful when they make their own initiatives with these motives. To change the patriarchal order in the optics sector, female opticians who want to be entrepreneurs must establish their own businesses by doing risk management correctly and with courage.