Empowering
Traveller
Women
Entrepreneurs
Galway Traveller Movement’s
‘Empowering Traveller Women Entrepreneurs’ (ETWE)
Background – setting the context
A baseline study undertaken by GTM in 20061 highlighted the high unemployment rate
amongst Travellers in Galway - 77% compared to 10% for the overall population. While more
recent 2011 census data is not yet available, anecdotally, Travellers note that little has
changed. The main reason for this is the discrimination experienced by Travellers in all
aspects of their lives – education, training, accessing employment, and even when
employed. A viable alternative for some Travellers, the Traveller economy, i.e. selfemployment is neither encouraged nor facilitated. One Traveller entrepreneur highlighted the
effect of discrimination:
“there are always risks with business, but for a Traveller, these risks are even
greater, because we face discrimination every day.”
The Empowering Traveller Women Entrepreneurs (ETWE) programme is aimed at Traveller
women who require dedicated support to assist them to develop new enterprises and
expand existing businesses.
ETWE is designed to deal with the barriers that prevent Traveller women from accessing
training/support to develop as entrepreneurs. It provides a women-only space, a Travellerspecific space & supports to deal with the various barriers to engagement. Research
undertaken by GTM has indicated that Traveller women experience the following barriers
with regard to setting up their own business:
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Lack of start up capital and access to finance
Lack of information around supports available
Lack of confidence
Practical training needs
Discrimination in the market
Lack of trust in statutory services
Welfare trap and fears around loss of benefits
Lack of role models in their community
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Irwin A, ‘Stall Anoishe! Minceir Whiden (Stop Here, Travellers Talking): Analysing the reality for
Travellers in Galway City’ (Galway Traveller Movement Research Report 2006)
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Process
ETWE has worked with Traveller women in Galway city and county in devising a practical
and flexible programme based on their needs. As a Traveller, women-only space, the project
enables participants to identify and discuss needs and barriers they face in developing their
enterprises.
The project works with women who: have an existing business; have an idea and want to
explore opportunities; and with women who are looking for a business idea. ETWE believes
it is important to focus on ‘latent’ entrepreneurship – in other words, to focus on potential.
As a Traveller organisation, GTM has established trust with Traveller women. GTM has held
workshops throughout Galway in collaboration with other community/training projects. This
was important as it emerged that many Traveller women did not trust other organisations
and were often not aware of the range of supports available.
ETWE participant Christina Ward and her produce at the launch of the
'Enterprising Traveller Women' toolkit. Photo Derek Speirs
The project’s services include:
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A pre-enterprise training programme – including sessions on book-keeping,
communication, financial projections, business planning, marketing, inequality and
discrimination, steps involved in setting up a business.
Flexible and practical mentor support in business development work – one-to-one
support in exploring business ideas and their viability, researching costs, market
research, business planning and financial projections.
Once-off business information/support – for example, information on accessing
suppliers, support around marketing and publicity, information on importing goods.
Ideas generation workshops – exploring different business opportunities with the
participation of enterprise and academic community.
Practical support around marketing and promotion – hands-on support around
participating in promotional events – e.g. support for holding a fashion show, which
showcased participants’ produce at the Irish Traveller Movement’s AGM.
Networking activities – attending and hosting enterprise and showcase events.
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In addition to working in partnership with Traveller women, the project has worked closely
with the enterprise, local development and academic community and with other Traveller
and community organisations. GTM established an advisory group with membership
comprising of Traveller women and the following agencies: Galway City Partnership, Galway
Rural Development, Galway City/County Enterprise Board, Galway-Mayo Institute of
Technology, National University of Ireland Galway, Individual entrepreneurs (settled and
Travellers), National Traveller Women’s Forum, Local Employment Services and Westside
CDP. The advisory group has been a beneficial source of support for individual women and
the project. The project has also worked with Galway Chamber of Commerce and its female
entrepreneur ambassador programme in order to engage with mainstream services and
bring a Traveller input to enterprise supports.
Key Outputs
The project has worked with over 30 Traveller women at various stages of enterprise
development. The business ideas of participants have included: alterations, dressmaking,
music and singing, training and facilitation, quilt making and gift products, household
products and importing, silk and fresh flowers, catering, event management, to name a few.
Supports provided to individual women include training, intensive mentor support, idea
generation, networking and support around marketing and promotion.
The project has also developed an ‘Enterprising Traveller Women’ toolkit, which outlines the
enterprise barriers experienced by Traveller women and provides a practical guide to
addressing these through an enterprise support programme. It is a useful resource for
enterprise agencies, Traveller organisations as well as Traveller women.
ETWE participants Bridget Kelly, Joanna Corcoran and Anne Marie McDonagh at the
launch of the 'Enterprising Traveller Women' toolkit. Photo Derek Speirs
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Key Learning
The project has demonstrated the importance of providing a flexible, women-centred
approach, based on the experience and needs articulated by Traveller women.
Flexible Approach
The need for flexibility in delivering supports has been a key component of the ETWE
programme. Participants are not required to sign up to a minimum number of hours on the
programme. If a Traveller woman requires one-off support or information, e.g. accessing
suppliers, importing goods, she can receive this without having to formally sign up to a
structured programme. Whilst this ‘information clinic’ approach is different to many
enterprise programmes it was identified as a particular need by Traveller women,
“flexibility was a key factor why ETWE was successful – without it a lot of
the women probably wouldn’t have stuck it out.”
The validity of this approach is also reinforced by the fact that the project has found that: “it
is important to start small...and recognise that some women may only want to start on a parttime or seasonal basis.” Otherwise the project would risk distancing Traveller women from
the enterprise supports.
Sessions co-facilitated by Traveller Women
In advance of each training session an ETWE participant meets with the trainer to discuss
the design and delivery of the input and highlight the specific issues relevant to Traveller
women. This co-facilitation of training sessions by ETWE participants has been highlighted
by Traveller women as a key project enabler as it ensures that each session is directly
relevant to their experience. The co-facilitator draws out their lived experience during the
training session and facilitates other participants to discuss their experiences. The project
has identified that this approach has the potential to be used by enterprise agencies in future
training and supports.
“Co-facilitation builds up trust between Travellers and trainers/agencies,
it helps them understand a Travellers’ perspective. It would be of great
benefit to both agencies and Traveller - it is a way of building bridges.
Then when Travellers see other Travellers co-facilitating, they see that the
agency is open to Travellers’ views.”
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Impact
The impact of the ETWE programme has been highlighted by participants and agencies.
Confidence
The importance of confidence building has been referred to by all participants. In developing
a women-only space, participants have provided peer support to one another, which is an
invaluable source of support and has served to build the confidence of Traveller women in
the process. One participant makes the point that “ETWE gives you confidence because it
was all women, you can share your experience.” Other participants have noted that whilst
Travellers have a long history of entrepreneurship, Traveller women have invariably played a
hidden role in the family business. The ETWE has facilitated and promoted a sense of
female entrepreneurship:
“the experience has given me the confidence to put my ideas into a
successful working reality and the opportunity to do things I always
wanted to do but without ETWE would never have had the chance.”
Access to information
The project has also provided Traveller women with access to relevant information. One
participant referred to the idea generation workshops as being, “a real eye-opener to all
involved …. it made us aware of sources of support that are out there.” In addition, it was
highlighted that information sharing events and supports that were attended by agencies and
external trainers provided an important opportunity to combat discrimination:
“it also gave us a channel to show that Travellers are interested in enterprise and to
show that the stereotype isn’t right.”
ETWE participants Joanna Corcoran, Bridget Kelly, and Nora Ward at the ETWE launch & networking
event with Liz Cassidy, an EU Ambassador for women entrepreneurship. Photo Derek Speirs
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Inform and influence wider practice
An important element of the project has also been to inform and influence wider practice
amongst agencies and training providers. One trainer identified that the co-facilitation
process had improved her own understanding of Travellers and the issues that they face:
“I am not a Traveller woman so co-facilitation gave me a better
understanding of the women’s individual needs...co-facilitation of
events is vital for both the trainer and also the participants.”
In addition, agencies have highlighted how their own approaches have been influenced by
the EWM funded programme. As well as disseminating the toolkit to all enterprise and local
development agencies throughout Ireland, Traveller women, who are participants of the
ETWE programme, have spoken at enterprise conferences/events. According to one
advisory group member, “there is a difference between a community worker and an
enterprise worker, but there needs to be an understanding of community work [approaches].”
In terms of agencies working in the area of enterprise supports, one advisory group member
notes:
“enterprise agencies need to be aware of the importance of building trust with
Travellers...and need to develop an understanding of issues from a Traveller’s
perspective.”
It is intended that the experience and best practice arising from the project will be used to
influence the enterprise and local development sector in Ireland in relation to the provision of
enterprise supports to Travellers, as well as a range of other groups.
The Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Project is an initiative of Galway Traveller Movement. It is funded under the
Equality for Women Measure (2010-2013), with funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Human Capital
Investment Operational Programme 2007-2013, and the Department of Justice and Equality.
AN ROINN DLÍ AGUS CIRT AGUS COMHIONANNAIS
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY
Investing in your future
Investing in your future
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