Phenomenology of women entrepreneurs’ adaptive resilience strategies to promote the pursuit of justice in navigating business challenges

This paper examines how women entrepreneurs overcome societal, financial, and cultural barriers, offering a toolkit that connects Sen's capability approach to their challenges and society's development needs. Resilience, adaptability, learning, and family support are crucial for women entrepreneurs facing these challenges. It uses Heideggerian phenomenology. The study analyzed 36 interviews with women entrepreneurs in the service sector using NVivo. Successful entrepreneurs use digital media, such as Instagram and Facebook, wisely and adapt to changing business environments, highlighting the importance of psychological resilience and strategic adaptability. Recognizing the link between capability development and strategic resilience motivates women to protect their health and build the knowledge and marketable skills that strengthen resilience. This research recommends policies to strengthen women's capabilities and resilience and provides practical resilience strategies. It extends Sen's capability approach to women entrepreneurs' resilience and their pursuit of justice and gender parity in challenging contexts such as Pakistani society.