Volume : 10, Issue : 11, NOV 2024

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP: PATHWAYS TO WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT – A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

AKANKSHA KUMARI, APARNA TIWARI

Abstract

Women's entrepreneurship is recognized as a key driver of inclusive economic development, poverty reduction, and gender equality worldwide. Entrepreneurial success among women depends not only on financial and human capital but also on the availability of social capital, such as family support, community networks, institutional linkages, trust, and reciprocal relationships. From a sociological perspective, social capital is essential for enabling women to access resources, markets, information, and opportunities that improve entrepreneurial outcomes and foster women's empowerment (Bourdieu, 1986; Coleman, 1997; Putnam, 2000). This paper investigates the interrelationship between social capital, women's entrepreneurship, and women's empowerment through a comprehensive review of secondary data. The analysis is grounded in Social Capital Theory, Feminist Theory, and Sen's Capability Approach to elucidate how social networks influence women's entrepreneurial development and empowerment. The findings indicate that bonding, bridging, and linking social capital significantly enhance women's entrepreneurial participation, financial inclusion, business sustainability, leadership capacity, and decision-making power. Despite progress, women continue to encounter structural barriers, including patriarchal norms, limited access to finance, digital exclusion, and unequal domestic responsibilities, which constrain the transformative potential of entrepreneurship. The study recommends strengthening institutional support systems, expanding financial inclusion, promoting digital literacy, and fostering gender-sensitive entrepreneurial ecosystems to enhance women's empowerment through entrepreneurship. This paper contributes to sociological scholarship by integrating social capital and women's entrepreneurship within the broader discourse on gender equality and social development.

Keywords

SOCIAL CAPITAL, WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT, SOCIOLOGY, GENDER EQUALITY, SECONDARY DATA.

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IESRJ

International Educational Scientific Research Journal

E-ISSN: 2455-295X

International Indexed Journal | Multi-Disciplinary Refereed Research Journal

ISSN: 2455-295X

Peer-Reviewed Journal - Equivalent to UGC Approved Journal

Peer-Reviewed Journal

Article No : 25

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