Women and Innovative Entrepreneurship: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Inclusion

Abstract

The rise of innovative entrepreneurship has become a defining feature of twenty-first century economies, reshaping markets and creating new opportunities for growth. Yet the participation of women in this domain remains uneven and often constrained. While female entrepreneurs have founded transformative ventures in technology, healthcare, and social innovation, systemic barriers continue to limit their access to capital, networks, and supportive ecosystems. This article examines the nexus between women and innovative entrepreneurship, with a focus on both the opportunities that digitalisation, globalisation, and shifting societal expectations provide, and the barriers posed by structural inequities, cultural norms, and financial exclusion. It outlines the drivers enabling women’s participation in entrepreneurial innovation, analyses the persistent challenges of gender bias, capital access, and work–life balance, and explores strategic responses from firms, policymakers, and civil society. Sectoral case studies highlight women’s innovative contributions in technology start-ups, social enterprises, and creative industries. Finally, the article considers broader implications for inclusive growth, gender equality, and the design of entrepreneurial ecosystems. The central argument advanced is that women’s innovative entrepreneurship represents both an underutilised economic resource and a crucial lever for inclusive development. Realising its potential requires dismantling structural barriers while actively designing policies, practices, and cultures that enable women to thrive as innovators.