Emancipation Through the Lens of Gender: An Analysis of Feminist Currents in Women's Entrepreneurship

Abstract

This article aims to critically examine the theoretical foundations of contemporary approaches to women's empowerment through entrepreneurship, drawing on key feminist perspectives. The objective is to develop an integrative analytical framework capable of capturing the diversity of women's entrepreneurial experiences within their situated social contexts, beyond normative and Western-centric interpretations.

The methodology is based on a critical, exploratory, and qualitative literature review. It relies on the analysis of theoretical and empirical studies drawn from recognized academic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Cairn, JSTOR and ScienceDirect).

The findings highlight the plurality of feminist interpretations of empowerment: liberal feminism emphasizes formal equality but overlooks systemic inequalities; Marxist and socialist approaches underscore economic exploitation and the gendered division of labor; radical feminism challenges patriarchal structures; post-structuralist perspectives deconstruct dominant gender discourses; and intersectionality reveals the complexity of lived oppressions at the crossroads of multiple systems of domination.

The originality of this article lies in its critical articulation of these theoretical frameworks to better understand the differentiated mechanisms of women entrepreneurs’ agency, while accounting for the diversity of sociocultural contexts.

Classification JEL: L26

Paper type: Theoretical Research.