Unveiling gender disparities in entrepreneurship: a systematic review on women entrepreneurs and inequality in India

Purpose The overarching goal of the proposed research undertaking is to deepen our understanding of the causes of the socioeconomic imbalance, which can help in improving women entrepreneurs’ status in terms of opportunity and participation in India. This study aims to assess the existing literature on the subject of gender inequality and entrepreneurship in economic and social realms and synthesise that material. Design/methodology/approach This research synthesises the previous knowledge to fill the void by conducting a comprehensive literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method. An analysis was conducted on data from 147 papers that have been indexed in Scopus throughout a 25-year period from 1998 to 2024. Findings The findings suggest that there is an increasing scholarly focus on important findings derived from a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on entrepreneurship among women. Consequently, the following causes of gender inequality and the marginalisation of women entrepreneurs were found as a result of the thematic classification of the corpus of literature that currently exists in reality: cultural biases and gender stereotypes, economic inequality, wealth inequality, work–life balance, empowerment and access to resources for entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications The findings from the study illuminate the potential aspects by which women and their companies are affected by institutionalised discrimination, negative gendered interactions and limiting gender norms. The study stresses the need for targeted approaches, increased funding and training opportunities and promotional efforts. A deeper familiarity with the challenging processes foundational to female-owned businesses may result from the use of comparative and longitudinal research. Originality/value The study’s emphasis on women’s entrepreneurship in the Indian context makes it distinctive and informative. In light of disproportions between both genders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, this study focuses on women entrepreneurs and identifies various topics of interest. Academically, it consolidates different literature, while practically, it guides gender-inclusive policies and efforts to promote entrepreneurship and solve gender inequities by bridging research gaps and giving nuanced insights.