This study examines how microcredit shapes women's entrepreneurship by distinguishing between entrepreneurial intention formation and its translation into action. A randomized controlled trial with 348 women in Bangladesh shows that microcredit has neither a direct effect on entrepreneurial intentions nor an indirect effect through their key antecedents—personal attitudes, perceived behavioral control, or perceived social norms. Microcredit exerts its influence at a later stage by enabling women with pre-existing intentions to enter entrepreneurship. Thus, fostering women's entrepreneurship requires complementing financial access with interventions addressing underlying cognitive and normative drivers, particularly perceived social norms—the strongest antecedent of women's entrepreneurial intention in patriarchal contexts. • Microcredit does not influence women's entrepreneurial intention formation. • Microcredit strengthens the translation of entrepreneurial intentions into action. • Restrictive social norms are a central constraint on women's entrepreneurial intentions.

Examining product innovation in women-led enterprises: Linking the influential role of innovation orientation, family support and risk management using Smart PLS-SEM

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Chinese women as they transition to entrepreneurial careers through the lens of gender and culture. This research sheds light on the specific needs of Chinese women entrepreneurs by identifying the factors that facilitate or hinder their career transition, as well as the coping strategies they employ to navigate this process. We employed a basic qualitative research design using a hybrid inductive-deductive approach to analyse in-depth, semi-structured, individual interviews with 16 Chinese women entrepreneurs. The findings were organised into three main categories derived deductively from Schlossberg’s 4S transition theory: Challenges (Situation and Self), Support Systems (Support), and Coping Strategies (Strategies). Within these categories, specific themes emerged inductively from the participants’ narratives. The most significant contribution of this study is the development of a context-specific model that integrates intersectionality into the 4S framework, demonstrating how gender and culture fundamentally shape the transitional experiences of Chinese women entrepreneurs. By visualising these intersections, the proposed framework offers a more comprehensive understanding of how women navigate entrepreneurship in a patriarchal business environment.

ABSTRACT This qualitative study investigates the resilience and adaptive strategies of women entrepreneurs, emphasizing their utilization of social, cultural, and symbolic capital within Bourdieu’s framework to navigate social structures and achieve broader inclusion. It employed Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology and conducted semistructured interviews with 36 women entrepreneurs in the service sector of Pakistan. Thematic analysis identified key themes, with NVivo used to code data and ensure rigor. Women leverage support networks, social media, and antiharassment strategies for mentorship and challenges in male-dominated fields. They tackle issues like financial constraints and intense competition through innovation, emphasizing skill development and strategic growth to meet market demands. Furthermore, resilience is crucial for entrepreneurial development and social and economic progress. This article highlights the importance of women’s resilience and their essential contribution to inclusive development and socioeconomic transformation. It also underscores the need to support women-led businesses in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as poverty alleviation, gender equality, and inclusive growth. This research employs Bourdieu’s social theory to examine how women entrepreneurs leverage capital and social fields, highlighting the role of digital media in promoting inclusion and empowerment. It emphasizes that digital media-driven economic, cultural, and social capital can empower women entrepreneurs and foster social inclusion, resilience, and change through strategic engagement and internalized dispositions grounded in Bourdieu’s social theory. Enhancing networks, mentorship, and digital skills among women entrepreneurs promotes social inclusion, equality, and economic development by addressing existing barriers and strengthening their social and cultural capital.

Sustainable entrepreneurship—the pursuit of business opportunities that jointly create economic, social, and environmental value—offers a promising pathway to address societal challenges. Bridging sustainable entrepreneurship and women’s entrepreneurship literature, this study examines how diverse profiles of women entrepreneurs align environmental and social goals with the aspiration of venture growth, advancing firm objectives beyond purely financial performance. Using a sample of approximately 20,000 women entrepreneurs from 63 countries and applying hierarchical linear regression analysis, our results show that rural women entrepreneurs prioritize social and environmental concerns more than their urban counterparts, with younger rural women entrepreneurs showing a stronger focus on social and environmental impact. Women entrepreneurs can balance social, environmental, and economic Triple Bottom Line goals, but those in rural areas face greater obstacles, particularly those focusing on innovation efforts. These findings offer important implications for policymakers seeking to promote inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial environments, revealing the complex interplay between gender, age, and rurality and how these factors can shape sustainable impact and firm growth.

Purpose Women's entrepreneurship in the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) countries has become a central pillar of regional economic development strategies. Arab women entrepreneurs are increasingly contributing to both national and global economies. However, despite the growing body of research in these countries, the field remains relatively underexplored. Design/methodology/approach To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review and a bibliometric analysis of 262 academic articles published between 2003 and 2024, including early accepted 2025 papers. We used Scopus and Web of Science as complementary bibliographic databases to map the intellectual landscape of women's entrepreneurship research in the GCC. Findings The findings reveal that women's entrepreneurship is no longer analyzed solely from a gender perspective. It is instead integrated into broader theoretical frameworks and is often at the center of broader themes. In addition, the analysis shows complementarity between clusters emerging from keyword co-occurrence analysis and article co-citation analysis. This result reveals nuances and emerging perspectives in both types of analysis. From a social perspective, the study identifies institutional and ecosystem gaps, in some countries in particular, and provides evidence-based insights to create targeted public policies that move beyond symbolic gender inclusion toward structural empowerment. The study also highlights the growing recognition of women entrepreneurs as strategic economic actors in the GCC region, which represents a traditionally male-dominated context. Narratives around their economic participation is reshaped, supporting the national transformation agendas fostering diversification and inclusive growth. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of women's entrepreneurship in the GCC region. By considering women's entrepreneurship both as a dependent and an independent variable, and drawing on clustering results, this study enhances our understanding of the field in a rapidly evolving region.

• We examine exits of startups led by entrepreneurial teams that include women. • We argue women’s entrepreneurial identity behaviors that drive exits are inhibited. • We use data on 3743 startups and the gender of their entrepreneurs and managers. • We find a negative association between women entrepreneurs and their startups’ exit. • This negative association is attenuated when women managers are present. Women are the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs but remain a distinct minority in entrepreneurship. Drawing on entrepreneurial identity theory, we suggest that women’s distinctiveness within the male-majority entrepreneurial context shapes their entrepreneurial identity and limits engagement in behaviors crucial for firm exit through IPOs or M&As. We further propose that women managers (outside the founding team) mitigate this effect by reducing perceived distinctiveness and fostering entrepreneurial identity. We empirically test the association between the presence of women entrepreneurs in founding teams and real-world firm exits using data from 3743 technology start-ups across seven industries. Our findings show that founding teams with women entrepreneurs are negatively associated with firm exits and that this negative association is attenuated when women hold management positions. Our study highlights factors that shape women’s entrepreneurial identity, links it to firm exit, and shows that women’s presence on founding teams is an overlooked determinant of firm exit.

Entrepreneurial women’s investment empowerment: A theoretical framework

Rural women entrepreneurship for strengthening livelihood: Evidence from Odisha, India

Women’s economic empowerment through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is widely recognized as an important strategy for supporting household livelihoods and local economic resilience. However, women entrepreneurs continue to face structural and socio-cultural constraints, particularly in rural contexts. This study aims to explore how women-owned MSMEs are experienced in relation to family welfare and how empowerment is shaped by Islamic values and local wisdom in Aceh Besar Regency. This study employed a qualitative field research approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and documentation involving 12 women MSME actors selected using purposive sampling. Participants were aged 20–45 years, engaged in culinary, handicraft, and small-scale retail businesses, with business experience ranging from 1 to 10 years. Each interview lasted approximately 45–60 minutes. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana. The findings suggest that participants reported contributing to household income, particularly in meeting daily needs and supporting children’s education. MSME activities were also described as helping households manage financial uncertainty. Participants indicated that Islamic values, such as honesty, fairness, and avoidance of riba, along with local practices such as community cooperation, influenced business practices and supported customer trust. At the same time, participants reported ongoing challenges, including limited access to capital, markets, and technology. These findings suggest that women’s involvement in MSMEs is perceived as meaningful for household welfare, while also being shaped by broader structural and socio-cultural contexts.

ABSTRACT Women’s entrepreneurship in tourism is often framed as a route to empowerment in developing country contexts because the sector is perceived as relatively accessible. Yet, empirical evidence remains geographically uneven and conceptually fragmented, particularly for Central Asia and for Muslim-majority, post-socialist settings. Addressing this gap, this study examines the enablers, success factors, and constraints shaping women’s tourism entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan, and advances an integrative lens that connects psychological capabilities, socio-cultural conditions, and gendered structures. Drawing on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 women tourism entrepreneurs operating in urban centers across Uzbekistan, three interrelated themes emerged. This study makes theoretical contributions to our understanding of women entrepreneur’s agency through capability-building, relational work, and the negotiation of gendered sociocultural structures. In doing so, this study extends the existing research beyond necessity-based and barrier-centered accounts of women’s entrepreneurial journeys.

The role of women’s entrepreneurship in achieving a gender-inclusive society and economic growth is undeniable. However, women entrepreneurs in Pakistan, despite several supporting initiatives by the government and NGOs, continue to face numerous socio-political and economic challenges, hindering their participation in business activities. This study aims to uncover these multifaceted challenges and the strategies to overcome them. Drawing on Liberal Feminist Theory and McClelland’s Need for Achievement Theory, this qualitative, phenomenological study captures the voices of 36 women entrepreneurs across major metropolitan cities in Pakistan. Findings reveal that participants struggle with entrenched patriarchal norms, gender discrimination, limited mobility, restricted access to finance, and other barriers. Despite these constraints, they demonstrate resilience through networking, mentoring, skill enhancement strategies, social media engagement, and innovative business practices. This study sheds light on how women entrepreneurs transform adversity into opportunity, offering valuable insights for policymakers and scholars seeking to promote gender equity and entrepreneurial inclusivity in emerging economies.

Female entrepreneurship continues to play a pivotal role in generating employment in the developing economies, particularly in the informal sector. There is, however, a paucity of empirical research on the impact of women-owned enterprises on gender-disaggregated informal sector work in South-eastern Nigeria. The research was conducted using a survey method, which gathered 500 female entrepreneurs. The effects of entrepreneurial activity, experience, financial assistance and capital on aggregate informal sector employment, male informal sector employment and female informal sector employment were estimated using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The results indicate that female entrepreneurship has a significant positive impact on informal sector employment in all three categories. There is also a positive and statistically significant effect of entrepreneurial experience, business capital and financial assistance on employment outcomes. This relationship between entrepreneurship and experience created a cohesive impact on employment among the women. The findings emphasise the significant contribution of female entrepreneurs to spreading employment in informal sectors, particularly in the recovery process after COVID-19. It is a study with policy implications that boosting entrepreneurial capacities among women could increase employment and economic sustainability in the area.

Purpose This study examines the entrepreneurial experiences of displaced women in Ethiopia through an intersectional lens, analysing how gender, displacement, religion and socio-economic status shape their agency and constraints. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative research design, employing in-depth interviews with displaced women entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis was used to explore how intersecting identities influence their entrepreneurial trajectories. Findings Findings reveal that displaced women entrepreneurs navigate overlapping layers of disadvantage – including patriarchal norms, economic precarity and religious expectations – while also exercising agency within these constraints. Many women reinterpret religious and cultural norms as enablers rather than barriers to entrepreneurship, demonstrating a nuanced negotiation of empowerment. Additionally, systemic barriers such as legal illiteracy, financial exclusion and ethnic discrimination exacerbate their economic vulnerability, necessitating tailored policy interventions. This study identifies the importance of context-specific support mechanisms that acknowledge the paradox of entrepreneurship as both an opportunity and a mechanism reinforcement of pre-existing inequalities. Research limitations/implications While this study provides valuable insights, its findings are context-specific and may not be generalisable to all displaced women entrepreneurs. Future research should explore diverse displacement contexts and examine how intersectionality interacts with broader political and economic structures. Policymakers and practitioners should prioritise gender-responsive, culturally sensitive entrepreneurial programs that recognise displaced women's unique challenges and aspirations. Originality/value This study contributes to intersectionality and entrepreneurship scholarship by extending theoretical frameworks to displacement contexts, illustrating how simultaneity, complexity, irreducibility and inclusivity manifest in displaced women's entrepreneurial experiences. It challenges binary understandings of empowerment and oppression, emphasising how women construct entrepreneurial agency within structural limitations.

This study examines the effect of self-efficacy on women's entrepreneurial interest with the mediating role of entrepreneurial knowledge in Kairatu Village, West Seram Regency. Using SEM-PLS with 45 female entrepreneur respondents, the results show that self-efficacy significantly influences both entrepreneurial interest and entrepreneurial knowledge. Entrepreneurial knowledge also significantly affects entrepreneurial interest and serves as a full mediator between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial interest. These findings suggest that enhancing women's entrepreneurial interest in rural areas requires a holistic approach integrating self-confidence strengthening, entrepreneurial knowledge development, and local context-based empowerment.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to analyse corporate actions in the sphere of social responsibility that influence consumer trust and loyalty within the retail sector. The research was based on a qualitative analysis of open sources, company reports, and corporate communications. It demonstrated how the approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR) has shifted—from being a public relations (PR) add‐on to becoming an integral part of a company's overall business strategy. It was established that such initiatives affect the rational perception of a brand, emotional attitudes towards it, and consumer behaviour. The analysis showed that Alibaba Group effectively implements environmental initiatives: its ‘Alibaba Green Logistics’ programme has reached over 100 million users and replaced more than 4 billion packages with eco‐friendly alternatives. The optimisation of logistics routes has led to a 15% reduction in CO 2 emissions in several regions. The ‘Rural Taobao’ programme has digitised more than 1000 villages, while the ‘She Era’ initiative has supported over 500,000 women entrepreneurs. EVA's case was used to explore the adaptation of CSR strategies during wartime. Between 2022 and 2024, the company provided over 98 million UAH in humanitarian aid, including support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, displaced persons, hospitals, children's institutions, and shelters. EVA also launched a series of social initiatives, including the charity programme Together for Children, as well as fundraising campaigns at store tills and on its online platform. The study concludes that in times of post‐pandemic instability, economic challenges, and social transformation, CSR is no longer a secondary consideration—it is becoming one of the key factors influencing brand loyalty, especially for companies operating in competitive environments across countries with varying levels of development. The practical significance of this study lies in its applicability for marketers, managers, and business owners seeking to effectively integrate CSR into brand strategy in order to strengthen consumer loyalty.

Purpose: This study aims to analyze how financial literacy and financial inclusion influence financing decisions among women-owned MSMEs in Indonesia, with financial and nonfinancial performance acting as moderating variables. Methodology/approach: A quantitative explanatory approach was employed using survey data from 345 female entrepreneurs operating MSMEs on Java Island. Data were collected through structured questionnaires with validated measurement scales and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares. Results: Financial literacy and financial inclusion significantly enhance financing decision-making among women entrepreneurs. Financial performance strengthens the relationship between financial capability, access, and funding choices, indicating that better financial conditions improve the effectiveness of financing strategies. Non-financial performance directly influences financing decisions and partially moderates the effect of financial literacy, suggesting that managerial capability and organizational readiness play important roles in funding behavior of investors. Conclusions: Financing decisions among female-entrepreneur-owned MSMEs are shaped by the interaction between financial knowledge, institutional access, and organizational performance. Limitations: This study focuses on women-owned MSMEs on Java Island and relies on self-reported survey data. Contributions: This study extends the contingency-based financial behavior perspective and offers practical insights for developing inclusive financing programs for women entrepreneurs.

Purpose Women entrepreneurship has grown significantly and is essential in the social and economic development of the Indian and global economies. Through extensive bibliographic analysis, this article aims to generate a comprehensive intellectual landscape of women entrepreneurship in India and presents research gaps that can help advance the field. Design/methodology/approach The study has employed bibliometric analysis and used 163 primary research papers published in high-quality peer-reviewed journals from 1993 to 2024. It has used performance analysis, bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis to synthesize the intellectual structure and emerging research frontiers in the domain of women entrepreneurship. Findings The analysis reveals the growth in the research articles, most prominent authors and top-cited journals in the domain of women entrepreneurship in India. Through bibliographic coupling and co-citation analysis, we highlight a few thematic clusters that have been explored by scholars, such as institutional influence, entrepreneurial intentions, capability building, etc. Furthermore, we identify a few emerging areas that require scholarly attention, such as the impact of government schemes and emerging technologies, intranational regional differences in women entrepreneurship, etc. Originality/value The originality of the article lies in the examination of the growth of the domain of women entrepreneurship in India in the last forty years and brings forward the intellectual structure of the domain.

Abstract We report results from a large-scale randomized controlled trial aimed at empowering young women during the transition from secondary school. The trial includes four school-based arms: economic empowerment, reproductive health empowerment, their combination, and a control group. The analysis draws on a rich dataset combining survey and laboratory measures collected over more than five years. The economic program increased self-employment and income, while the reproductive health program strengthened self-control and increased committed relationships. Both interventions also increased early pregnancy, which we attribute to positive income and relationship effects in a context characterized by high fertility and self-employment.

Purpose Despite research acknowledging the importance of culture in entrepreneurship, less attention has been given to its impact on the growth aspirations of Married Women Entrepreneurs (MWEs) in developing country contexts. Unlike prior studies that draw on more narrowly defined measures of business growth, it is suggested that most MWEs will have business growth ambitions, but marriage will combine with cultural and religious factors to change the nature of such ambitions. An extension of the 5Ms framework, incorporating insights from New Institutional Theory, is used to consider how informal institutions, especially cultural and marital norms, influence growth ambitions, contextualising them in a non-Western setting – Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach Survey data from 280 MWEs from Kaduna state were collected through online and manual methods of distribution. Regression analysis examined the links between culture, as manifested through gender roles and religious influences, and a variety of potential measures of business growth ambitions. Findings MWEs wish to grow their businesses by acquiring management skills and deploying more effective strategies, but are restricted by gender roles and religion. Many MWEs require their husbands' approval to launch and grow their business and are unaware of government support available. Support is more commonly sought from religious institutions. Social implications Government support could be more effective if facilitated through religious organisations, as these are often trusted and accessible platforms. Culture, while sometimes restraining the business growth ambitions of MWEs, can also offer solutions through culturally aligned, faith-based initiatives that support and encourage entrepreneurial growth ambitions. Originality/value The separate attention to marriage allows a more nuanced understanding of how culture may alter the nature of MWEs' growth aspirations in a patriarchal and religiously divided society.