Understanding the Unique Challenges Faced by Low-Income and Disadvantaged Female Entrepreneurs

There is an emerging body of research on poverty and entrepreneurship, and a considerable amount of attention has been devoted to issues surrounding women and entrepreneurship. However, the unique challenges of women entrepreneurs who live in poverty and experience highly adverse circumstances are not as well understood. Yet, women are responsible for a significant proportion of the ventures started by those in poverty. In addition to a severe lack of resources to support their ventures, they can struggle with entrenched gender norms and institutional barriers, overt and subliminal discrimination from a range of different stakeholders, complex family pressures and dynamics, difficulties in achieving some sort of work-life balance, and constraints in establishing business legitimacy, among other issues. This panel of distinguishes global researchers will share leading edge perspectives regarding these challenges and how they can be overcome. Differences between a developing and developed economy context will be explored. Priorities will be established for ongoing research needs at the interface between poverty, entrepreneurship and gender.

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