Women Entrepreneurs In Pakistan: Navigating Finance, Networks, And Leadership For Business Success

Abstract

The emergence of female entrepreneurship is crucial for economic growth and social advancement, but the struggle of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan poses pertinent challenges that limit their firm success. However, the role of access to finance, entrepreneurial networking, entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial leadership in women entrepreneurs’ performance has not been studied. Data were collected from 700 women entrepreneurs registered with the Women Chamber of Commerce (WCC) in Pakistan using a qualitative research approach and were analyzed using NVivo software and thematic analysis. As a result, women entrepreneurs often depend on personal savings and informal funds as their principle sources of finance, with banks requiring stringent collateral, and lending practices being perceived as biased. Women entrepreneurs are further hampered by gender bias and social barriers that reduce their business networking, mentorship, and access to funding and markets, thus limiting their capacity to scale their businesses. Also, because so many women lack business skills and innovation ability, they stay small and do not build companies. But the research also shows that women entrepreneurs who network actively, exhibit entrepreneurial leadership and have a strategic market orientation perform better and are more sustainable. Given that, there is an essential "need for targeted programs on capacity building and support for women-specific networking." With funneled financial backing, collaborative merchant programs, and computerized advancement openings further reinforcing entrepreneurial biological systems, women across Pakistan can end up playmakers and genuine contributors to this casualty's monetary recuperation and corporate advancement. Policymakers, financial institutions, and business support organizations seeking to foster an inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial environment for women will therefore find important insights in the study.

Keywords: Performance of women entrepreneurs, access to finance, women entrepreneurial networking, women entrepreneurial orientation, women entrepreneurial leadership.