Women Entrepreneurship of Necessity: A Literature Review for the Analysis of Push and Pull Factors

This review investigates the pull and push factors that drive women towards necessity entrepreneurship, that is, starting a business out of necessity, as an alternative to adverse conditions (e.g., job loss, financial hardship, lack of autonomy). A literature review was conducted using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol to identify the main variables examined in existing research. Sixty-eight articles published on this topic were selected and analysed through the lens of the Ecological Systems Theory. The results revealed a predominance of studies analysing macro-level factors, such as national poverty conditions and structural gender inequalities. At the meso-level, the literature highlighted the importance of social capital that supports women as they embark on entrepreneurial paths. At the micro-level, studies focused on motivation and self-efficacy, while gender and entrepreneurial identity received little attention. Additionally, the literature devoted substantial interest to the analysis of this topic in emerging countries, while there was little analysis in stronger economic contexts. This review aimed to map the existing literature by identifying relevant strengths and gaps, proposing directions for future research and considerations for intervention.