Women Empowerment through Entrepreneurship and Its Impact on Standard of Living: Evidence from Urban Gujarat

Abstract

Entrepreneurship and women empowerment have become very important determinants of socio-economic development especially in fast urbanising areas. This research examines the effect of entrepreneurship on women empowerment and the resulting effect on the quality of life among women entrepreneurs in urban Gujarat. The study has a descriptive and analytical design and is founded on primary research gathered among 340 female entrepreneurs by using a structured questionnaire. The major constructs were measured using a 5-point Likert scale, and data analysis was done with the aid of SPSS by way of descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The results indicate that entrepreneurship has a significant positive impact on women empowerment and makes them more independent economically, provide them with decision-making capacity, and social participation. In addition, women empowerment is also found to have significant positive impact on the standard of living, which means that empowered women enjoy better income levels, resource accessibility, and overall well-being. Another finding in the study is that entrepreneurship has a direct role in enhancing the standard of living, which signifies its dual role as both an economic and social enabler. The research paper adds to the available body of literature by offering an integrated empirical analysis on the interrelationships among the constructs of entrepreneurship, empowerment, and standard of living within an urban setting. The results highlight the need to advance women entrepreneurship by guiding the supportive policies and financial inclusion, as well as capacity building initiatives, to bring about inclusive and sustainable development.