The motivational factors of female entrepreneurs in de facto states: Planning for an uncertain future

The body of literature on entrepreneurship,including female entrepreneurship,in developing countries is growing. a very small number of developing countries have no legal status as a sovereign entity,and operate within a de facto framework. inside these regions,while dealing with complex economic and political issues,individuals still need to set up enterprises and develop their businesses,which then increases the economic growth of these stateless regions. this paper sets out to identify a number of developing nations with de facto status,including the turkish republic of northern cyprus,the republic of kosovo,and palestine,and it will highlight the issues for entrepreneurs in these regions,especially issues for female entrepreneurs within heavily patriarchal societies. through an extensive literature review,as well as data from a previous mixed methods research study in north cyprus,the paper seeks to underscore the issues for entrepreneurs in de facto states. in detail,the motivational factors of entrepreneurs in these de facto states will be emphasised,drawing attention to the possible links between the entrepreneurs of these regions,as well as comparisons to other developing nations. these three de facto regions have high muslim populations,and the possible implications of this will also be uncovered. © 2018,statistical,economic and social research and training centre for islamic countries. all rights reserved.