Female entrepreneurs innovativeness in digital business ecosystems

This chapter discusses the role of the digital business ecosystem for improving the levels of female entrepreneurship in developing economies. While female entrepreneurs drive both economic and social development, they encounter severe challenges simultaneously fulfilling entrepreneurial roles and family life requirements. Enablers of digital businesses of female entrepreneurs include financial, technological, infrastructural, socio-cultural, entrepreneurship educational elements as well as family and work balance. To thrive amidst uncertainties and severe challenges common in most developing countries, female entrepreneurs need to innovatively take advantage of innovative business models, entrepreneurial education, entrepreneurial networks, and digitally enabled investment platforms. Although finance is a key constraint to entrepreneurship in developing countries, socio-cultural factors can influence financial access for female entrepreneurs. Hence, attempts to address sociocultural factors that impede financial access may contribute to addressing gender-based barriers. This chapter provides a foundation for the development of gender-inclusive policy in developing economies.