Women entrepreneurs in the Global South are a powerful force for economic growth and social progress. By dismantling barriers and providing them with the tools they need to thrive, we can unlock their potential to transform communities, empower women, and build a more equitable and sustainable future. However, conventional economic thinking often perceives entrepreneurship as gender-neutral, depicting entrepreneurs as rational, self-interested individuals detached from any sex, gender, class, age, family, religion, or ethnic context. This gender-neutral stance neglects the unique barriers and hardships faced by women entrepreneurs, potentially hindering their participation and contribution to socioeconomic development. By exclusively focusing on market dynamics, financial matters, and management concerns, mainstream economic thinkers overlook crucial attributes and roles associated with women.
The book presents a paradigm shift, redefining entrepreneurship as a vehicle for social change and inclusion. It emphasizes the importance of a gender-responsive approach, advocating for targeted support systems that address the specific needs and challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the Global South. The research tackles diverse themes and topics, emphasizing the importance of a gender-responsive approach, incorporating qualitative research, and recognizing the intersectionality of gender with other factors like migration and violence.
The International Studies in Small Business and Entrepreneurship Research series opens a new chapter, as it seeks to advance discussions that consolidate conventional knowledge. The purpose of this initiative is to invite new reflections on the nature of entrepreneurship and small business across contexts. The collections in this series aim to improve the theoretical rigour and practical relevance of the field. The emphasis is to advance contemporary contributions that matter for small business and entrepreneurship, directing us to underexplored and under-theorised contexts.