Quiet Encroachment and Female Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia: An Intersectionality Plus Approach

Rawan Almohanna, John R. Bryson and Amir Qamar

Gender, Work and Organization, 2026, vol. 33, issue 1, 246-260

Abstract: The feminist theory of intersectionality has received increasing scholarly application because of its ability to explain inequalities. Intersectionality as applied to entrepreneurship is a framework that highlights how structures and characteristics such as gender, race, class, and ethnicity contextualize women's interest and engagement in enterprise. This approach provides insight regarding the challenges and opportunities faced by women entrepreneurs. There are some conceptual and analytical challenges with an intersectionality‐informed account of female entrepreneurship. This study extends the intersectionality approach by developing an “Intersectionality Plus” framework to explore female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. The context is Saudi Vision 2030, a national policy intended to empower women. This study explores the lived experiences of 32 Saudi female entrepreneurs using a qualitative approach. These 32 entrepreneurs had established new enterprises, but the application of an intersectionality approach did not reveal differences that were related to female entrepreneurship. Other factors were at work that were layered over intersectionality. Micro‐level analysis revealed that those who became entrepreneurs used different combinations of intersecting personal entrepreneurial qualities such as passion, ambition, and motivation. Intersectionality Plus highlights that intersectionality must recognize individual agency and be placed within the context of broader societal formations.

Date: 2026
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