The aim of this study is to find out the leadership of the higher education institutions in empowering female entrepreneurship. Qualitative methodology is used in this study in which semi-structured interviews are conducted from the female candidates who are pursuing entrepreneurship and relying on the higher education institutions and their leadership in initiating and maintaining support system for the females. Findings of the study show that female entrepreneurs are more determined for the entrepreneurship as they are mostly necessity driven in the developing countries. Their leadership skills enable them to tackle the various challenges and drive the situation in the order to carry on with their entrepreneurial motives.
Top1. Introduction
Female entrepreneurship has come under more and more scrutiny in recent years, given the verifiable data demonstrating the significance of new firm formation for economic growth and development. Beyond only creating jobs and boosting the economy, female-owned small enterprises are essential to society (Abdullah, et al., 2020; Afshan, et al., 2021). Despite the fact that governments and academia have taken note of the rise in the proportion of female entrepreneurs in developing countries, women still own or manage roughly 30% of all small enterprises in industrialized countries (Datta & Gailey, 2012). Additionally, programs or policies targeted at encouraging and developing female entrepreneurship have been started by donors, international public organizations, national and local governments, NGOs, private corporations, charities, knowledge institutes, and business groups (Vossenberg, 2013; Alshareef, et al., 2022; Aurangzeb, et al., 2021).
This study tries to identify the components of the support environment for the female entrepreneurs in the developing country like Pakistan.
Top2. Literature Review
In the upcoming years, female labor force participation is anticipated to rise at an accelerated rate. This development is a result of the high rates of female education, with more women currently holding university degrees than males (Chaudhry, et al., 2021; Gilal, et al., 2021). The Kingdom of Bahrain has started several initiatives, projects, and training and rehabilitation programs targeted at empowering women by giving them the knowledge and skills necessary to start and run small businesses or to pursue entrepreneurship (Alexandre & Kharabsheh, 2019). One of the most important aspects of entrepreneurship is the underlying traits of the business owners themselves (Tunio, et al. 2021; Memon, et al., 2021). Male and female entrepreneurs often have different natural traits (Tunio, et al., 2021; Shaikh, et al., 2022; Shaikh, et al., 2022).
Valeri & Katsoni. (2021) discussed that women entrepreneurs are equally capable of co-founding businesses, occupying positions of leadership in the industry, and taking part in and making decisions on the operational aspects of such businesses, either by themselves or in partnership with others (Mushtaq, et al., 2021; Tunio, et al., 2021). Pioneering spirit, tenacity, attentive service, attention to staff (general knowledge/education and authorization), authors emphasis on social goals such as: quality, credit, charity activities, pursuit of expansion and profit, and a sense of accomplishment of self-realization are among the traits of women entrepreneurs (Shaikh, and Tunio, 2020; Tunio and Shaikh, 2020).