Reframing Women Entrepreneurship: Unpacking Gender Roles, Balance, and Empowerment

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is inherently shaped by gender, with norms and expectations influencing how women experience their roles as entrepreneurs. Traditionally, entrepreneurship has been aligned with masculine traits such as assertiveness and risk-taking, perpetuating stereotypes that often conflict with societal perceptions of femininity. This disconnect frequently gives rise to biases and structural barriers, including significant disadvantages in securing financing. Beyond financial challenges, women entrepreneurs also contend with gender discrimination and issues related to work-life balance. While there is evidence of a gradual shift toward a more inclusive entrepreneurial image, entrenched gender biases continue to shape the experiences of women in this field. Nevertheless, some scholars argue that entrepreneurship can offer women a means to navigate and counteract gender discrimination. It provides a degree of flexibility and autonomy, enabling a more favorable work-family balance. For many women, entrepreneurship not only serves as an escape from workplace biases but also creates opportunities to assert greater agency and independence in their professional lives. This study seeks to explore how gender influences women’s experiences as entrepreneurs. Using a qualitative approach, interviews with 12 growth-oriented women entrepreneurs reveal complex gendered discourses that both reflect and challenge the dominant, traditionally masculine narrative of entrepreneurship. Through discourse analysis, three distinct discourses were constructed, highlighting how deeply embedded gender norms shape women’s entrepreneurial journeys. These findings provide valuable insights into the unique challenges women encounter and highlight the potential of entrepreneurship as a strategic avenue for achieving work-life balance and personal agency. By examining these gendered discourses, the study contributes to a broader understanding of how entrepreneurship can evolve to be more inclusive, recognizing and addressing the distinct obstacles women face. This research thus underscores the importance of shifting away from a monolithic entrepreneurial model to a more diverse, inclusive one that respects and supports varied gendered experiences in the entrepreneurial landscape.