INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP THROUGH E-COMMERCE: A PRISMA-DRIVEN SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Women entrepreneurship has been recognized increasingly as an accelerator of social promotion, economic strengthening, empowerment, and robustness. The swift progression of technological tools and internet-based commercial work frame has created enhanced potential for women’s inclusion to surmount longstanding challenges such as scarcity of financial support, limitations on mobility, and ingrained socio-cultural rigidity. The convergence of female-led enterprises and e-commerce allows women to diversify their business undertakings via technology-enabled platforms, advancing women’s empowerment and promoting self-reliance. The present research step by step investigates how e-commerce is fostering women’s entrepreneurial activities implemented via a PRISMA-guided systematic literature review (SLR) approach. A comprehensive search of the Scopus database identified 1,035 peer-reviewed publications from 2010 to 2025, which were screened against predefined eligibility criteria. The analysis highlights five key domains through which e-commerce impacts women entrepreneurship: market expansion, financial inclusion, empowerment, challenges, and policy frameworks. Findings indicate that e-commerce enhances market access, strengthens financial independence, reduces gender disparities, and promotes inclusive participation in digital economies, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably in equality of genders, fostering economic development, and innovative practices. However, challenges such as digital literacy gaps, infrastructural limitations, inadequate institutional support, and persistent gender norms continue to impede progress. The study proposes an integrated framework outlining opportunities and constraints, while identifying research gaps related to Artificial Intelligence adoption, community-based digital enterprises, and cross-national policy comparisons. These insights provide actionable guidance for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners to support women entrepreneurs in leveraging digital platforms, thereby promoting inclusive growth and sustainable economic development.