Women Entrepreneurs Struggling for Sustainability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31384/jisrmsse/2025.23.4.2Keywords:
women entrepreneurs, feminist theory, sustainability, constraints, developing countryAbstract
The purpose of the study was to explore the main issues and challenges of female entrepreneurs within the context of a developing country, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The feminist theory provides a theoretical lens for the foundations of this research. Data were collected via in-depth interviews from eleven female social entrepreneurs of KP, Pakistan, and analyzed using thematic analysis. On an empirical level, we have identified and discussed a number of interesting and explanatory themes related to female entrepreneurship that have been combined in an overarching theme of socio-economic impact on female social entrepreneurs. The findings have significance for a proactive approach for future episodes of the pandemic. In the end, the study comes to the conclusion that gender-sensitive crisis support for female entrepreneurs is necessary, addressing both universal economic shocks and the deeply ingrained sociocultural barriers that increase their vulnerability.
Downloads
References
Acker, S. (1987). Feminist theory and the study of gender and education. International Review of Education, 33(4), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00615157 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00615157
Ahmed, L. (1992). Women and Gender in Islam. New Haven, CT, USA: Yale University Press.
Alonso, A. D., Kok, S., Bressan, A., Shea, M., Sakellarios, N., Koresis, A., Solis, M., & Santoni, L. (2020). COVID-19, aftermath, impacts, and hospitality firms: an international perspective. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91(1), Article 102654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102654 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102654
Amine, L. S., & Staub, K. M. (2009). Women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa: An institutional theory analysis from a social marketing point of view. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 21(2), 183–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985620802182144 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08985620802182144
Anderson, A. R., Younis, S., Hashim, H., & Air, C. (2018). Social enterprising informs our concept, exploring informal micro social enterprise. Social Enterprise Journal, 15(1), 94–110. https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-04-2018-0034 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SEJ-04-2018-0034
Basu, A. (2018). Whither democracy, secularism, and minority rights in India? The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 16(4), 34–46. https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2018.1535035 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15570274.2018.1535035
Blažková, O. D. I. (2018, September). Entrepreneurship and corruption: Do corruption perceptions influence regional entrepreneurial activity? In The 12th International Days of Statistics and Economics. 6 - 8 September, 2018.
Brown, R., Rocha, A., & Cowling, M. (2020). Financing entrepreneurship in times of crisis: Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on the market for venture capital. Journal of Corporate Finance, 38(5), 380–390. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620937464 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620937464
Chmura, M. (2020, June 09). Pandemic Impacts Entrepreneuring Women at Work and Home. . Retrieved from https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/pandemic-impacts-entrepreneuring-women-at-work-and-home/
Cowling, M., Brown, R., & Rocha, A. (2020). Did you save some cash for a rainy COVID- 19 day? The crisis and SMEs. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 38(7), 593–604. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620945102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242620945102
Creswell, J. W., Clark, V. L., Gutmann, M. L., & Hanson, W. E. (2003). Advanced Mixed Methods Research Designs. In A. Tashakkori, C. Teddlie, et al. (Eds.), Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research (pp. 209–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Cruz-Jesus, F., Oliveira, T., & Bacao, F. (2018). The global digital divide: evidence and drivers. Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM), 26(2), 1–2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/JGIM.2018040101
Cunningham, J., Xiong, L., Hashim, H., & Yunis, M. S. (2022). Narrating the ’social’: The evolving stories of Pakistan’s social entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 34(7-8), 668–685. https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2022.2077990 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2022.2077990
Davis, P. J. (2012). The global training deficit: the scarcity of formal and informal professional development opportunities for women entrepreneurs. Industrial and Commercial Training, 44(10), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197851211193381 de Vries, N., Liebregts, W., & van Stel, A. (2020). Explaining entrepreneurial performance of solo self-employed from a motivational perspective. Small Business Economics, 55, 447–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-019-00244-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-019-00244-8
Doern, R., Williams, N., & Vorley, T. (2019). Special issue on entrepreneurship and crises: business as usual? An introduction and review of the literature. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development(5/6), 400–412. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2018.1541590
Dugarova, E. (2020). Unpaid care work in times of the COVID-19 crisis: Gendered impacts, emerging evidence, and promising policy responses. In the UN Expert Group Meeting ‘Families in development: Assessing progress, challenges, and emerging issues (Vol. 30).
Fisher, D., & Heymann, D. (2020). Q&A: The novel coronavirus outbreak causing COVID- 19. BMC Medicine, 18(1), Article 57. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01533-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01533-w
Franco, M., & Matos, P. (2013). Leadership Styles in SMEs: A Mixed-Method Approach. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11(2), 425–451. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s11365-013-0283-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-013-0283-2
Freeman, M. A., Staudenmaier, P. J., Zisser, M. R., & Andresen, L. A. (2019). The prevalence and co-occurrence of psychiatric conditions among entrepreneurs and their families. Small Business Economics, 53(2), 323–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0059-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0059-8
Galloway, L., Kapasi, I., & Sang, K. (2015). Entrepreneurship, leadership, and the value of feminist approaches to understanding them. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(3), 683–697. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12178 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12178
Gul, R., Khan, S. S., & Ghafoor, R. (2023). Constraints and catalysts for female entrepreneurs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A mixed-methods study of post-COVID economic participation. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 58(8), 1485–1502.
He, H., & Harris, L. (2020). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on corporate social responsibility and marketing philosophy. Journal of Business Research, 116(1), 176– 182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.030 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.030
Herbane, B. (2010). Small business research: time for a crisis-based view. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 28(1), 43–64. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0266242609350804 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0266242609350804
Holmquist, C., & Sundin, E. (2002). Företagerskan: Om kvinnor och entreprenörskap. In and others (Ed.), . SNS förlag.
Jenkins, A. S., Wiklund, J., & Brundin, E. (2014). Individual responses to firm failure: Appraisals, grief, and the influence of prior failure experience. Journal of Business Venturing, 29(1), 17–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2012.10.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2012.10.006
Khan, S. (2007). The role of culture in the representation of Pakistani women: A study of Pukhtoon culture . Doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham.
Khan, S., & Yunis, M. S. (2019). Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: The Case of the Banking Sector in Pakistan. Journal of Business & Economics, 11(1), 101–121.
Kuckertz, A., Brändle, L., & Gaudig, A. (2020). Startups in times of crisis-a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 13, Article e00169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2020.e00169 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbvi.2020.e00169
Kumbhar, V. M. (2013). Some critical issues of women entrepreneurship in rural India.
European Academic Research, 1(2), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2043821 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2043821
Lent, M., Anderson, A., Yunis, M. S., & Hashim, H. (2019). Understanding how legitimacy is acquired among informal home-based Pakistani small businesses. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 15(2), 341–361. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s11365-019-00568-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-019-00568-7
Levent, T. B., Masurel, E., & Nijkamp, P. (2003). Diversity in entrepreneurship: ethnic and female roles in urban economic life. International Journal of Social Economics, 30(11), 1131–1161. https://doi.org/10.1108/03068290310497495 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/03068290310497495
Levinson, B. A. (1998). How can a man do feminist ethnography of education? Qualitative Inquiry, 4(3), 337–368. https://doi.org/10.1177/107780049800400303 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/107780049800400303
Lindholm, C. (1982). Generosity and jealousy: The Swat Pukhtun of northern Pakistan. Columbia University Press.
Madgavkar, A., White, O., Krishnan, M., Mahajan, D., & Azcue, X. (2020). COVID-19 and gender equality: Countering the regressive effects. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/covid-19-and-gender-equality-countering-the-regressive-effects McKinsey Global Institute.
Mehtap, S., Pellegrini, M. M., Caputo, A., & Welsh, D. H. (2017). Entrepreneurial intentions of young women in the Arab world: Socio-cultural and educational barriers. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 23(6), 880–902. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-07-2017-0214 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-07-2017-0214
Moult, S., & Anderson, A. R. (2005). Enterprising women: Gender and maturity in new venture creation and development. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 13(3), 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495805000161 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495805000161
OECD. (2020). COVID-19 and gender equality: Why women are bearing the brunt of the crisis. OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19). Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/covid-19-and-gender-equality-why-women-are-bearing-the-brunt-of-the-crisis-ee6dc9c4/
OECD / European Union. (2019, December). The missing entrepreneurs: Policies for inclusive entrepreneurship. https://doi.org/10.1787/3ed84801-en DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/3ed84801-en
Orser, B., Henry, C., Coleman, S., Potter, J., Halibisky, D., & Étienne Noël. (2020). Women Enterprise Policy and COVID-19: Towards a Gender-Sensitive Response.. https:// doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28736.35840
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. (2018). Pakistan labor force survey 2017-18. Government of Pakistan.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. (2019). Time Use Survey 2019. Government of Pakistan.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey 2018-19, provincial/district. Government of Pakistan.
Pratt, D. (2010). Religion and terrorism: Christian fundamentalism and extremism. Terror and Political Violence, 22(3), 438–456. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546551003689399 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09546551003689399
Ratten, V. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and sport entrepreneurship. Interna- tional Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 26(6), 1379–1388. https:// doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2020-0387 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-06-2020-0387
Roomi, M. A., & Parrott, G. (2008). Barriers to development and progression of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. The Journal of Entrepreneurship, 17(1), 59–72. https:// doi.org/10.1177/097135570701700105 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/097135570701700105
Rutashobya, L. K., Allan, I. S., & Nilsson, K. (2009). Gender, social networks, and entrepreneurial outcomes in Tanzania. Journal of African Business, 10(1), 67–83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15228910802701387
Shepherd, D. A., & Haynie, J. M. (2011). Venture failure, stigma, and impression management: a self-verification, self-determination view. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 5(2), 178–197. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.113 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.113
Simmons, S. A., Wiklund, J., & Levie, J. (2014). Stigma and business failure: implications for entrepreneurs’ career choices. Small Business Economics, 42(3), 485–505. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s11187-013-9519-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-013-9519-3
Singh, S., Corner, P., & Pavolvich, K. (2007). Coping with entrepreneurial failure. Journal of Management and Organization, 13(4), 331–344. https://doi.org/10.5172/jmo.2007.13.4.331 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5172/jmo.2007.13.4.331
State Bank of Pakistan. (2022). Banking on Equality Policy: Reducing the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion . Retrieved from https://www.sbp.org.pk/assets/document/ BankingonEquality.pdf
Stephens, S., Cunningham, I., & Kabir, Y. (2021). Female entrepreneurs in a time of crisis: evidence from Ireland. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 13(2), 106–120. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-09-2020-0135 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-09-2020-0135
Tariq, F., & Bibler, S. (2020). Gender impact of COVID-19 in Pakistan: Contextual analysis and the way forward. . International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
Welter, F., Brush, C., & De Bruin, A. (2014). The gendering of entrepreneurship context (Working Paper No. 14/01). Institut für Mittelstandsforschung Bonn. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2557272
World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, April 2020: East Asia and Pacific in the Time of COVID-19. (2020). https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1565-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1565-2
Yunis, M. S., & Hashim, H. (2020). The gendering of context: A fresh perspective of women’s social enterprise in Pakistan. Business & Economic Review, 12(1), 25–48. https://doi.org/10.22547/BER/12.1.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22547/BER/12.1.2
Yunis, M. S., Hashim, H., & Anderson, A. R. (2018). Enablers and constraints of female entrepreneurship in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Pakistan: Institutional and feminist perspectives. Sustainability, 11(1), Article 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010027 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010027
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Shandana Shoaib, Mohammad Sohail Yunis, Alina Rahman, Sana Rahman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright: The Authors
