Emprendimiento Femenino: Desafíos y Oportunidades desde la perspectiva de la Competitividad

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship is a relevant element for economic and social development, although it develops in an environment characterized by persistent challenges, structural gaps, and gender inequalities. In this context, this study aims to analyze the challenges and opportunities of female entrepreneurship, from the perspective of competitiveness; to this end, a mixed methodological approach was adopted, with a correlational scope, field design, and cross-sectional approach. The research was based on a non-probabilistic sample of 150 enterprises led by women, integrating descriptive statistics techniques and the structural equation modeling based on partial least squares (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. The results show that female entrepreneurship arises mainly as a response to the lack of formal employment, which reinforces its subsistence nature. Among the main challenges are limitations in access to the financial system and weaknesses in administrative management. However, entrepreneurs express a positive perception of their competitiveness, based on the quality of their products, their openness to the use of technological tools, and the exercise of a leadership that promotes businesses sustainability. In conclusion, women-led enterprises make visible advances in their processes of consolidation in the market, resilience, adaptation, and business leadership. Despite the persistence of structural restrictions and gender gaps, factors associated with the adoption of technology, innovation, and support networks emerge as key elements to strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of these enterprises.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, development strategy, economic system, leadership, innovation.