An Exploration of Barriers to Women's Participation in Family‐Owned Businesses: Insights From a Developing Economy in the Pursuit of the Circular Economy

ABSTRACT Barriers to women's participation in family businesses, both within and beyond the family, may hinder their performance. This study focuses on exploring and assessing the significant barriers that women experience in their family‐owned businesses and examining the impact of these barriers on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the pursuit of the circular economy. The study employed the convenience sampling method, followed by snowball sampling, to collect data from regions of North India in order to obtain direct, personalized, and valuable information. Semi‐structured interview questions were developed, with input from experts, to explore the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs and to understand how these barriers impact the SDGs in the pursuit of the circular economy. After validation of the findings with experts, respondents, and previous studies, the barriers identified include primogeniture, invisibility, role incongruity or role conflict, lack of family support, low self‐confidence, the “old boys' network,” lack of role models, social attitudes, lack of prior experience, work–life balance, and limited managerial, leadership, and financial skills. These barriers significantly affect women owners during their entrepreneurial endeavors. Moreover, they limit women's contributions toward gender equality as well as personal, social, and national growth. Academic institutions and governments should address the barriers identified in this study that affect women's participation in family entrepreneurial activities. Women are vital members of both family and society; their personal, financial, and intellectual development contributes to overall societal progress and positively impacts the SDGs—particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) in the pursuit of the circular economy. This is one of the foremost studies aligning the barriers to women's participation in family businesses with the SDGs in the pursuit of the circular economy.