Gender, entrepreneurship, and marketing: Barriers and drivers for rural women in Iran

Entrepreneurship involves the development of economic activities through the combination of risk, creativity, and innovation. This study uniquely integrates cross-cultural theoretical perspectives on entrepreneurial behavior and marketing challenges, particularly within the under-researched rural Iranian context. By combining qualitative and quantitative methods, it advances the literature by providing a nuanced understanding of the interplay between individual, socio-cultural, and structural factors influencing women entrepreneurs’ marketing practices. Marketing is widely recognized as a critical determinant of business performance. This study explores the barriers and enablers of marketing activities for rural women entrepreneurs, employing a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative stage involved 36 women entrepreneurs, while the quantitative stage included 307 respondents selected via snowball and stratified random sampling, respectively. The analysis of qualitative data identified marketing as a primary challenge for these entrepreneurs, which was further categorized into individual, socio-cultural, legal, technical, and economic factors through factor analysis. The causal model results demonstrated the significant impact of environmental factors, marketing strategy, and marketing mix on the implementation of marketing methods. Furthermore, key barriers, such as lack of technical skills, inadequate legal support, and restrictive socio-cultural norms, were found to hinder marketing success. The study recommends the development of empowerment programs to enhance personal skills, the implementation of marketing and sales workshops, and the creation of a supportive legal and socio-cultural environment to facilitate women’s entrepreneurial activities. Additionally, fostering access to financial resources and establishing better distribution channels are essential to improving the marketing effectiveness of rural women entrepreneurs. These findings underscore the need for a multi-faceted approach, incorporating education, financial support, and structural changes, to drive sustainable growth for women-led businesses in rural areas.