Gender and entrepreneurship

It is widely acknowledged that there are significantly fewer women in entrepreneurship than men. The body of literature on female entrepreneurship puts forward some explanations for this gender gap. Research on gender stereotypes highlights the impact they have for female entrepreneurs on their ability to attain financial investment and in turn grow their businesses. In addition, some research has suggested that entrepreneurial motivations are gendered, proposing that women are pushed into entrepreneurship to fit their career around their family responsibilities. However, it has been argued that entrepreneurial motivations are not very different when focusing solely on gender as a comparator. This highlights the importance of considering how gender intersects with a range of other factors when drawing conclusions about an entrepreneur's experience. Finally, the sector in which women establish businesses is discussed, indicating that there are few women establishing business in ‘high growth' sectors.