Overcoming obstacles in female entrepreneurship: challenges and access to opportunities for rural female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

Using insights from the sustainable livelihood framework, we develop an understanding of the relationship between challenges and access to opportunities in female entrepreneurship. We argue that in many patriarchal societies, and in those shaped to limit women's entrepreneurial engagement, it's crucial to understand why such institutional contexts constrain the entrepreneurial choices of women and to assess the impact on expected opportunities. In a study of 18 female entrepreneurs in rural Bangladesh, we find that the unique cultural and contextual challenges, marked by uncertainty and resource constraints, highlight the realities faced by female entrepreneurs in the country. We extend the sustainable livelihood theory and studies on rural entrepreneurship by demonstrating how interventions can significantly influence entrepreneurship in rural Bangladesh. Additionally, we illustrate the potential benefits of improved policy direction to encourage and empower supportive economic activities for women in Bangladesh.