Self-employed Turkish speaking women in London – opportunities and constraints within and beyond the ethnic economy

Women from minorities are self-employed in many countries. Yet policies as well as research on ethnic businesses have paid little attention to them. This article discusses self-employment among Turkish-speaking women in London and evaluates the significance of their contribution within and beyond the ethnic economy. It argues that there is a need to reflect upon the construct of the ethnic economy in order to integrate women's entrepreneurial activities. Three business types categorize women's business activities, differentiated by the customers the women intend to serve. Finally, this paper questions whether self-employment always increases women's bargaining position. The empirical basis is an ongoing ethnographic study of self-employment in the Turkish-speaking communities in London, including 11 case studies of self-employed women.