Paper Title
Effects of Gender and Cultural Beliefs on Women Entrepreneurship in Nigeria

Abstract
The study assessed the effects of gender bias and cultural beliefs on growth of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Gender and cultural dimensions such as restricted access to education, finance, ethnicity, religion and societal perceived roles of women were investigated. The effects of these factors on women entrepreneurial activities is worth studying because entrepreneurship is considered as an important aspect of economic development of both developing and developing nations. The researchers adopted descriptive survey design in a quest to obtain necessary information for the study. 380 women entrepreneurs in three states, North Central Nigeria were purposively selected and investigated. The findings of the study show that women in Nigeria are affected by a number of cultural factors that impede the growth and development of their entrepreneurial intentions. The study presented a picture of some gender bias and culture related barriers that women must overcome to be able to establish new businesses or expand existing ones. Keywords� Gender Bias, Cultural Belief, Women, Entrepreneurship.