Women's entrepreneurship is an effective way to combat poverty, hunger and disease, to stimulate sustainable business practices, and to promote gender equality. Yet, deeply engrained cultural norms often prescribe gender-specific roles and behaviors that severely constrain the opportunities for women's entrepreneurial activities. This excellent new volume of work from the Diana Group explores this paradox. As women-entrepreneurs circumvent challenges and obstacles, they also ameliorate the cultural context for future women entrepreneurs. In this book, studies covering 40 countries document how culture affects women's entrepreneurship, and how women's entrepreneurship, in turn, shapes the cultural milieu. The work is organized into three main themes: (1) the socio-cultural context for women's entrepreneurship; (2) women's entrepreneurship as emancipation from traditional family roles; and (3) government policies and programs and self-determination in women's entrepreneurship. This illuminating and inspiring book offers valuable insights for students of women's entrepreneurship, practicing entrepreneurs, and public policy makers interested in promoting women's entrepreneurship in different cultural contexts around the world.

Women's entrepreneurship is vital for economic and social development, yet female entrepreneurs worldwide are consistently found to have weaker sales and employment growth, fewer jobs, and lower profitability. This book was written to address this reality and focuses on the high-growth potential of women entrepreneurs. The scholars in this book conducted qualitative as well as quantitative research in contexts around the world, including Eswatini (Swaziland), Australia, China, Slovenia, Peru, and one global study of 43 countries. Chapters are organized according to three key themes: the practice of building networks, programs and the support environment, and policies and regulations. Topics addressed within these themes include the interconnected and mutually reinforcing features of a fruitful entrepreneurial culture, including financial and human capital advancement and readiness, new opportunities for expansion and an assortment of institutional and infrastructural provisions for innovation and business growth. High-growth Women's Entrepreneurship will appeal to public and private sector managers, policy makers and politicians who want to promote a culture and ecosystem that supports women's growth-oriented business potential. Educators and program designers who want to help women grow their businesses, and scholars who want to explore further research will find the information invaluable. Contributors include: N. Birdthistle, C.J. Boudreaux, Z. Brixiova, C.G. Brush, A. Bullough, D. Cetindamar, M. Cordova, L.F. Edelman, R. Eversole, B. Freser, V. Godinho, D. Hechavarria, F. Huaman, E. James, T. Kangoye, T. Lammers, Y. Li, S. Muhammad, B. Nikolaev, A. Pearce, K. Sirec, E. Sullivan, P. Tominc, M. Walo, J. Wu