The Study on the Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs

ABSTRACT: Women entrepreneurship has been given significant attention in the last few years because of its potential to make contributions to economic development, employment generation, and social change. Even with this growing popularity, women entrepreneurs in India remain confronted with an array of challenges that limit their involvement, expansion, and longevity in business. The study seeks to explore the major challenges confronting women entrepreneurs, targeting both socio-cultural and institutional challenges like gender discrimination, financial exclusion, unavailability of mentorship, as well as limited access to market opportunities. With a descriptive research design, the study has utilized primary data gathered from 100 respondents using structured questionnaires and secondary data from academic research and dissertations. The study findings indicate that fear of failure, social expectations, gender bias in funding and investments, insufficient family and community support, and underrepresentation in high-growth industries largely limit women from venturing into or venturing further in entrepreneurial activities. The research also highlights the lack of information regarding government schemes, low digital and financial literacy, and a lack of female role models within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In spite of these limitations, most women persist in showing resilience and innovation in establishing and running enterprises. The research sums up that, in order to encourage inclusive and sustainable economic growth, it is very important to initiate gender-sensitive policies, mentoring programs, and capacity-building initiatives specific to women entrepreneurs. This study enriches academic and applied knowledge by providing focused recommendations that can enable women to overcome the systemic obstacles and realize their full entrepreneurial potential. KEYWORDS: Women Entrepreneurs, Gender Bias, Entrepreneurship in India, Financial Challenges, Socio-Cultural Barriers, Support Systems, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, Policy Reform