From Social Constraint to Social Capital: A Conceptual Exploration of Family Support in Women’s Entrepreneurship in Iraq

HRMARS - In conservative and patriarchal societies, women entrepreneurs often operate within socio-cultural structures that simultaneously restrict and enable their economic participation. This study offers a conceptual exploration of family support as a mediating mechanism in women’s entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the post-conflict and institutionally fragile context of Iraq. While existing literature frequently portrays the family as a barrier to women’s autonomy, this paper repositions the family as a dynamic source of social capital that can facilitate entrepreneurial resilience and legitimacy. Drawing upon Social Capital Theory, the Resource-Based View, and Gender Role Theory, the proposed framework conceptualizes emotional, financial, and practical support from spouses and extended kin as context-dependent resources that both reflect and reshape gendered expectations. The study highlights the duality of family influence, functioning as both a gatekeeper of traditional norms and a conduit for entrepreneurial empowerment. This reconceptualization contributes to a more nuanced understanding of women’s entrepreneurship in conflict-affected settings and offers actionable insights for policy, training, and ecosystem development that engage with, rather than circumvent, familial institutions. The framework invites empirical validation and adaptation across diverse socio-cultural environments where women navigate entrepreneurship within familial constraints.