Women Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship Development

Dear Colleagues,

Women’s financial inclusion and entrepreneurship are central to advancing economic empowerment and gender equality globally (Cabeza-García et al., 2019; Mpofu, 2023; Chikwe et al., 2024). Despite progress in financial access, women entrepreneurs continue to face systemic barriers, including limited access to capital, financial literacy gaps, and restrictive legal frameworks (Coleman et al., 2019; Babar et al., 2023). This Special Issue seeks to address these challenges by examining financial inclusion strategies, innovative financing models, and policy reforms that empower women entrepreneurs.

Focus:

1. The role of financial inclusion in fostering women’s entrepreneurship and economic independence.
2. Policy and institutional frameworks that enhance women's access to financial services, credit, and capital.

• Strategies to address gender-based barriers in financial markets, including digital financial inclusion and alternative financing models.

Scope:

1. Women’s entrepreneurship and access to capital in diverse economic contexts.
2. Digital financial services, fintech innovations, and inclusive banking models.

• Policy reforms that promote gender-responsive financial ecosystems.

1. Financial literacy and capacity-building programmes for women entrepreneurs.
2. Green economy entrepreneurship and sustainable financing for women-led businesses.

Purpose:

1. To contribute to global discussions on women’s financial empowerment, aligning with G20 FIWE 2025 priorities.
2. To provide research-based insights into scalable financial models and policy innovations.

• To support policymakers, financial institutions, and development organisations in designing inclusive economic systems.

Relationship to Existing Literature

While existing studies highlight financial inclusion as a key driver of economic growth (Demirgüç-Kunt et al., 2022; World Bank, 2023; UN Women, 2023), there remains a need to explore how financial innovations—such as digital banking, microfinance, and venture capital—can be leveraged to support women entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the intersection of financial literacy, gender equity, and regulatory frameworks remains underexplored in the context of the evolving digital and green economies (Mpofu, 2023; John et al., 2025). This Special Issue aims to bridge these gaps by providing empirical and policy-oriented research on inclusive financial models and entrepreneurship-enabling ecosystems.

Submission Guidelines

This Special Issue is directly linked to the G20 FIWE 2025 Conference on Financial Inclusion and Women Empowerment, which will take place from 6 to 7 May 2025 in Sun City, South Africa. Co-hosted by the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the conference provides a global platform for academics, policymakers, and practitioners to advance discussions on financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and gender equity.

Authors presenting at the conference are encouraged to submit extended versions of their research papers for consideration in this Special Issue. However, submissions are not limited to conference participants—scholars, practitioners, and experts engaged in financial inclusion and women’s empowerment are invited to contribute.

This Special Issue will capture the conference’s academic and policy-driven insights, ensuring that discussions translate into published research that informs global strategies for financial inclusion and gender-responsive entrepreneurship.

References

Babar, Z. N., Al Sulaiti, K., Aldereai, O., Abbas, J., & Al Sulaiti, I. (2023). Financial inclusion, leadership abilities, family support, and country of origin effects empower female entrepreneurs. Journal of Excellence in Business Administration, 1(2), 39-63.

Cabeza-García, L., Del Brio, E. B., & Oscanoa-Victorio, M. L. (2019). Female financial inclusion and its impacts on inclusive economic development. In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 77, p. 102300). Pergamon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2019.102300Get rights and content

Chikwe, C. F., Kuteesa, C. F., & Ediae, A. A. (2024). Gender equality advocacy and socio-economic inclusion: A comparative study of community-based approaches in promoting women’s empowerment and economic resilience (2022). International Journal of Scientific Research Updates, 8(2), 110-121. https://doi.org/10.53430/ijsru.2024.8.2.0066

Coleman, S., Henry, C., Orser, B., Foss, L., & Welter, F. (2019). Policy support for women entrepreneurs’ access to financial capital: Evidence from Canada, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and the United States. Journal of Small Business Management, 57, 296-322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jsbm.12473

Demirgüç-Kunt, A., Klapper, L., Singer, D., & Ansar, S. (2022). The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19. World Bank Publications. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/globalfindex/Report 

John, H. B., Agrawal, M., Nema, P., Hasan, A., Rakhra, I. K., & Singh, A. (2025). Green growth: a bibliometric analysis of digital innovation and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 14(1), 15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00473-0

Mpofu, F. Y. (2023). Gender disparity and digital financial inclusion in advancing the attainment of sustainable development goals in developing countries. International Journal of Innovation in Management, Economics and Social Sciences, 3(3), 49-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.59615/ijimes.3.3.49 

UN Women. (2023). Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: Gender Snapshot 2023. United Nations.

World Bank. (2023). Women, Business and the Law 2023: Removing Legal Barriers to Women’s Economic Inclusion. World Bank

Dr. Patrick Ebewo
Dr. Motshedisi Sina Mathibe
Dr. Bridget Irene
Dr. Elona Ndlovu
Dr. Kanayo Kingsley Ogujiuba
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• financial inclusion
• access to funding
• financial education
• entrepreneurship ecosystem
• women empowerment
• G20 South Africa
• women entrepreneurship
• green economy
• entrepreneurship development