ABSTRACT

Entrepreneurship is a powerful source of economic independence for women and has significant potential to contribute to a country’s economic growth. Women entrepreneurs in Pakistan are resilient actors; however, their numbers are significantly lower than those of men-led businesses. The growth of women-led businesses is lagging as they are still facing challenges despite the presence of numerous policy initiatives and institutions working for them. This study aims to explore the loopholes linked with the institutional structure that hinder the effective implementation of these policy initiatives, as well as the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. The study primarily focuses on the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. A qualitative explanatory design has been employed to understand the institutional weaknesses and challenges, and to gain an in-depth understanding of the obstacles. Data collection was conducted through semi structured interviews with women entrepreneurs and other stakeholders from relevant institutions. The findings revealed an implementation gap on the institutional side, stemming from information asymmetry and an unintegrated service delivery system. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs face numerous challenges, ranging from sociocultural constraints to institutional-level constraints that hinder their business growth. In the light of the research findings, the study proposes an integrated framework for the development of women’s entrepreneurship comprising of multiple levels of institutional collaboration, ranging from the government level to women entrepreneurs, thereby facilitating the access of women entrepreneurs to policy initiatives.