Grupo Mulheres Empreendedoras de Lavras (MEL): uma análise do empreendedorismo feminino como possibilidade do desenvolvimento local

Abstract

The present work is a study on the Grupo Mulheres Empreendedoras de Lavras (MEL) and female entrepreneurship as a possibility for local development in the Minas Gerais municipality of Lavras/MG, in a time frame that covers the period from 2017 to 2021. The changes that have occurred in Brazil , marked by the emergence of different ways of thinking about development, including through entrepreneurship and the local, lead to the emergence of various forms of entrepreneurship, such as female entrepreneurship, a consequence of the insertion of women in the job market and a driver of development. Thus, the study aims to analyze the Women Entrepreneurs of Lavras Group (MEL) and female entrepreneurship as a possibility for local development in the municipality of Lavras/MG. To achieve the objective, existing theories on entrepreneurship, feminism, female entrepreneurship, development, local development, local development and social capital, the relationship between entrepreneurship and development and the impact caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic on development were initially raised. . The themes were chosen considering the approach to development with a more humanitarian character that places people at the heart of the theme, the place and female entrepreneurship. The analysis of the pandemic was necessary because the present study took place during and after the pandemic period.The bibliographic survey was important to deepen understanding of the themes and their interrelations, as both approaches are widely discussed and are studies in constant evolution. References were searched in Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo, Spell and Google Scholar databases. The study took place through a group formed exclusively by women with a focus on female entrepreneurship, the Grupo Mulheres Empreendedoras de Lavras (MEL), which emerged in 2018 and operates virtually through the social network Instagram and a group of application applications. messages via cell phone, WhatsApp and its purpose is to boost female entrepreneurship in the municipality, strengthening entrepreneurial actions, so that, in this way, it contributes to local development. This study was expected to evaluate female entrepreneurship as a possibility for local development. The methodology used was non-participant observation that began in March 2022, using the mobile messaging application group WhatsApp as a tool, followed by semi-structured interviews and content analysis of the results obtained. The results revealed that the entrepreneurship practiced by the group is early-stage entrepreneurship which, to be leveraged, requires greater engagement on the part of the group's participants, and can effectively contribute to local development. As the themes of female development and entrepreneurship are constantly evolving, it is expected that this research will contribute to new studies focusing on the problem addressed.