Her Own Boss (HOB) Report
Exploring the Challenges and Barriers of Entrepreneurship for Racialized Newcomer Women in Canada
We are a leading company dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their dreams through innovative solutions and exceptional services.
Our company is built on the foundation of empowering individuals and helping them unlock their full potential. We understand that each person is unique and has their own dreams and aspirations. That\’s why we offer personalized solutions and support tailored to each individual\’s needs and goals. Our dedicated team of experts is always ready to go the extra mile to ensure the success and satisfaction of our clients.
With years of experience in tEntrepreneurship is a crucial pathway to economic stability for newcomers in Canada. However, immigrant women, particularly those from visible minority groups, face unique challenges and achieve less economic stability in their business journeys compared to other immigrant groups. The Her Own Boss (HOB) project, funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), addressed these challenges through community-based participatory research conducted in Ottawa (ON), Metro Vancouver (BC), and St. John’s (NL). Over two years, HOB provided racialized newcomer women (RNW) with weekly training sessions on entrepreneurship, mentorship, and other supports, creating a space for them to explore self-employment as a viable income source.
Using intersectionality and feminist community research frameworks, the study identified seven categories of barriers RNW face in entrepreneurship: financing, skills and human capital, social capital, cultural and social environments, intersecting identities, health-related factors, and COVID-19 impacts. The findings also highlight systemic challenges for service providers, including limited funding, insufficient collaboration, and a lack of capacity to deliver RNW-specific services.
The report evaluates whether the training sessions helped participants pursue self-employment and overcome barriers, noting improved skills, confidence, and opportunities among RNW. It concludes with recommendations for Canadian governments and service providers to better support RNW, including increased funding, improved collaboration, and tailored entrepreneurial services at all levels of government.
Keywords: Racialized Newcomer Women (RNW), Service Providers, Entrepreneurship, Challenges, Intersectionality, Self-Employment, Canada