Why do women found startups less often than men? A systematic literature analysis

Merle Petersen, Joerg Freiling and Quynh Duong Phuong

Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 2025, vol. 20, issue 2, 337-359

Abstract: PurposeThis study, a systematic literature review (SLR), aims to synthesize the research findings and contribute to a deeper understanding of why women compared to men are less likely to found startups.Design/methodology/approachAn SLR was conducted, including 60 peer-reviewed articles published between 2012 and 2024. The SLR rests on Scopus and Web of Science as databases.FindingsThe findings reveal 11 types of different challenges and barriers to female entrepreneurship that fall into four categories: environmental challenges, challenges due to lack of resources, family challenges and personal challenges. Societal and institutional norms form the foundation of these issues, all of which are highly interconnected.Originality/valueBuilding on previous findings, this SLR focuses on the pre-founding barriers and contributes new perspectives to the field through a structured model, complementing prior SLRs and paving the way for more targeted research in underexplored issues.

Keywords: Gender; Start-ups; Women entrepreneurs; Female entrepreneurs; Systematic literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jecpps:jec-03-2025-0063

DOI: 10.1108/JEC-03-2025-0063

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