Barriers to women-led social entrepreneurship: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Women-led social entrepreneurship has emerged as an important approach to addressing social challenges and promoting community development. Despite growing scholarly interest, the literature remains fragmented, methodologically limited, and geographically concentrated, resulting in a limited comprehensive understanding of the barriers faced by women social entrepreneurs. This study aims to systematically identify and synthesise the key barriers, determine the most frequently reported challenges, and examine research gaps in the field. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework was conducted using four academic databases, resulting in the inclusion of 21 peer-reviewed studies published between 2022 and 2026. The findings indicate that gender bias and discrimination are the most prevalent barriers, followed by limited access to financial resources and socio-cultural and patriarchal constraints. These barriers are interconnected and reinforce one another across diverse contexts. The study highlights the need for integrated policy interventions, greater use of quantitative and mixed-methods approaches, and the development of intersectional theoretical frameworks to better support women-led social entrepreneurship globally.