Global knowledge structure of women entrepreneurship in rural areas through a bibliometric analysis

Rural women entrepreneurship has gained growing attention from both scholars and policymakers, leading to a growing body of research in recent years. This study reviews the evolution and intellectual structure of research on rural women entrepreneurship and identifies key research themes and emerging directions in the field. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 427 Scopus-indexed publications published up to April 2026. The R Bibliometrix package and VOSviewer were used to examine publication trends, citation patterns, influential contributors, keyword co-occurrence networks, and thematic maps. The results of these studies’ analyses and synthesis showed that: (i) Research on rural women entrepreneurship has expanded rapidly since 2014; (ii) McElwee Gerard (the UK) is the most productive author, while the University of Nigeria (Nigeria) and Dhofar University (Oman) are leading institutions. Sustainability (Switzerland) is the most prominent journal. (iii) India leads rural women entrepreneurship research, while China emerges as a central node in international collaboration networks, highlighting strong cross-country research connections; (iv) Five main research themes emerged, including socio-gender context, capacity and empowerment, rural entrepreneurship, sustainable innovation, and human and social capital; (v) Building on these themes, the study develops a conceptual framework grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV), linking internal resources and capabilities to sustainable rural women entrepreneurship. In contrast, the thematic evolution map highlights potential directions for future research. The findings also offer practical guidance for policymakers and development organizations to strengthen women’s entrepreneurial capabilities and support sustainable rural development.