Female Entrepreneur's Perspective on Gender Equality and Strategies for Sustainable Entrepreneurship - A Qualitative Study of Female Entrepreneurs' motivation, challenges, and Contribution to Gender Equality and sustainability in entrepreneurship.

Sammanfattning

Purpose Women's participation in business has increased significantly in recent decades. According to 2023 figures, female entrepreneurs account for 43% of the total, representing a dramatic change in economic involvement (Beckman, 2023). These women play an important role in promoting global economic stability, often relating their enterprises to social impact and community growth. Most women in underprivileged communities struggle to get necessary services despite these developments, resulting in prejudice and bias against them. This challenge highlights the ongoing gender inequality which requires attention. Giving women economic independence is social justice and a driving force behind societal progress. In addressing these challenging issues, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on gender equality, serve as a framework for many institutions. This research seeks to find the interrelation between entrepreneurship, gender and sustainability. It explores the hurdles female entrepreneurs face in scaling their enterprises due to gender inequality and their contribution towards achieving gender balance. This encourages politicians, organisations, and governmental authorities to put in place long-term frameworks to address regional inequities while building an inclusive environment favourable for women entrepreneurs. Method/Design/Approach The research used a qualitative method to investigate the motivations, problems, and contributions of female entrepreneurs from 10 nations across the globe. The sample selection was randomly chosen but focused on capturing global or cross-country data from all the continents; Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. A multi-case study followed by interviews with a sample size of 15 female entrepreneurs was used to analyse the research question. To investigate the results, a thematic analysis was conducted and derived from the theoretical concepts and the research questions. Findings This research documents several challenges and key contributions to the field of gender equality and female entrepreneurship. The findings revealed that funding constraints, limited networks, and inadequate access to resources and knowledge are common barriers hindering the scalability of women-led businesses. The geographic difference highlights the need for unique solutions as developing countries grapple with male-dominated institutions and the necessity to create a supportive investment framework. In contrast, the challenge of developed nations often revolves around networking, handling domestic responsibilities, and attracting suitable investors. Notably, the female viewpoint on gender equality is more focused on inclusiveness and diversity than on numerical parity, promoting equal chances for everyone, regardless of gender. This study emphasises the need to empower female entrepreneurs based on merit rather than relying on outmoded gender myths.