Can microfinance-backed entrepreneurship be a holistic empowerment tool for women? Empirical evidence from Kashmir Valley, India

Abstract

PurposeThis study investigates the effectiveness of microfinance-backed entrepreneurship as a mechanism for the holistic empowerment of women.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a mixed-method research-design consisting of quasi-experimental design (quantitative approach) involving women, both entrepreneurs (132) and non-entrepreneurs (238), as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews (qualitative approach).FindingsQuantitative analysis revealed that female entrepreneurs are better off than female non-entrepreneurs in terms of economic, social, political and psychological indicators of empowerment. However, relatively lesser impact was found in terms of political, and to an even smaller extent, social empowerment of women. Analysis of in-depth interviews corroborated these findings confirming that entrepreneurship serves as an effective tool for the holistic empowerment of women. However, non-entrepreneurs also exhibit social empowerment.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the restricted geographical ambit of the study, prudence ought to be exercised in drawing inferences applied to alternate contexts. That the vast majority of questionnaire respondents are illiterate presented a notable impediment in the process of collection of accurate responses.Practical implicationsMicrofinance intervention ought to be specifically directed to cultivating entrepreneurship among women; in particular, to achieve the full benefits of empowerment, women availing microfinance ought to exert full control over their own business ventures.Originality/valueIn analyzing holistic empowerment through microfinance supported businesses set up by women, the study adds to the existing literature on women entrepreneurship and empowerment.

Exploring the influence of gender diversity and women's empowerment on family entrepreneurship performance: the moderating impact of firm characteristic

“…Family entrepreneurship can empower women not only economically but also at social and cultural levels. Social empowerment allows women to have their position at the household and societal levels (Sinha et al , 2019), while economic empowerment ensures women obtain control over economic resources, finances and investment decisions, and that overall they enjoy equal opportunities (Park and Mercado, 2015; Khan et al , 2022b). Women empowerment is associated with economic gain, achieving of which can be through business.…”

Mediating effect of innovation capability between entrepreneurial resources and micro business performance

“…Hence, further empirical research is needed (Al Mamun et al, 2018;Al Koliby et al, 2022). Meanwhile, women are the most vulnerable group, accounting for 70% of global poverty and are more likely than men to be poor (Hameed et al, 2020;Khan et al, 2022). Women entrepreneurs face many obstacles when starting and expanding their businesses (Balawi and Ayoub, 2022;Khan et al, 2022).…”

“…Meanwhile, women are the most vulnerable group, accounting for 70% of global poverty and are more likely than men to be poor (Hameed et al, 2020;Khan et al, 2022). Women entrepreneurs face many obstacles when starting and expanding their businesses (Balawi and Ayoub, 2022;Khan et al, 2022). Evidence from Malaysia indicates that women entrepreneurs contribute 44% of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 56% of total employment through micro enterprises (Hameed et al, 2020).…”

“…Evidence from Malaysia indicates that women entrepreneurs contribute 44% of the annual gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for 56% of total employment through micro enterprises (Hameed et al, 2020). Consequently, more research focusing on female entrepreneurs' MBP is needed (Al Mamun et al, 2018;Khan et al, 2022). Based on the above discussion, this study summarizes the research problem with the following questions:…”

Factors of Women Entrepreneurship in Egypt: A Qualitative Perspective

“…Moreover, in the countries that historically have suffered the issue of gender inequality, entrepreneurship has been portrayed as a critical tool to bring in social and economic changes (Zayadin et al, 2020(Zayadin et al, , 2022, that significantly induce women empowerment (Khan & Abass Bhat, 2022;Yen et al, 2022), and reduce poverty (Dzingirai, 2021;Naminse et al, 2019;Xu et al, 2022).…”