Women entrepreneurs in the Fintech age: does educational gender equality matter?

Purpose FinTech is increasingly recognized for its role in accelerating economic growth; however, a significant gender gap in financial inclusion persists, particularly in developing countries like India. Women entrepreneurs continue to face substantial barriers in accessing financial services due to inequalities in income, education and socio-cultural norms. This study aims to examine how FinTech adoption (FA) affects women’s entrepreneurship (WE), with a focus on the mediating role of financial inclusion (FI) and the moderating influence of gender gap in educational attainment (GGEA). Design/methodology/approach The study leverages a data set covering Q1 2008 to Q1 2023, drawn from various sources, including the World Development Indicators, Financial Access Survey, micro, small, and medium enterprise database and Global Gender Gap Report. A moderated mediation model is tested using SPSS and the PROCESS macro. Findings The results show that FA significantly enhances WE. This relationship is mediated by FI. However, the direct effect of GGEA on WE is negative, suggesting that higher education may lead to non-entrepreneurial career paths or reflect systemic barriers. Importantly, the positive effect of FI on WE is stronger in contexts with greater educational equality. This emphasizes the need for integrated policies that combine financial and educational inclusion. Originality/value This study offers a novel framework by exploring the moderated mediation effect of educational gender equality between FinTech, FI and entrepreneurship pathways. It provides actionable insights aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) such as SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).