Purpose The purpose of the paper is to explore cultural, structural and policy-level dynamics influencing women entrepreneurs in the Global South with a particular focus on students and their perceptions. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research/Ethnographic Content Analysis. Findings Findings of the ethnographic content analysis demonstrate that young women still perceive gender inequalities when it comes to entrepreneurship opportunities but they also perceive that there is a gradual improvement in favor of women. Results also support the notions stipulated in the literature that women have difficulty in accessing financing and their existence in high-growth sectors is still restricted. Research limitations/implications Research is limited to 20 countries out of approximately 120 countries often referred to as Global South countries and thereby the implications may be specific to only the countries involved in the research. Practical implications Exploring the perceptions of young women from Global South countries allows the practitioners to see whether the policies implemented to foster women’s entrepreneurship is in fact received positively in the minds young of women. Results of the study reveal the advancements in the field as perceived by aspiring entrepreneurs while also highlighting the areas that require improvement. Social implications Since perceptions shape the intentions of entrepreneurs, understanding young women’s perceptions about entrepreneurship may allow for increased efforts to minimize the perceived societal obstacles and contribute to the social well-being of the communities in Global South. Originality/value This study focuses on the perceptions of young female students who are not entrepreneurs. This adds to the value of the study since the majority of research is conducted on entrepreneurs and their experiences in one stream and how environmental factors such as culture, societal norms, governmental policies and access to resources affect entrepreneurial efforts in another stream. This study, however, seeks to understand how these factors are perceived by young female students from the region who one day may aspire to become entrepreneurs.
Zeynep Baysal (Fri,) studied this question.