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Digital girl: cyberfeminism and the emancipatory potential of digital entrepreneurship in emerging economies

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Abstract

Digital entrepreneurship has been described as a “great leveler” in terms of equalizing the entrepreneurial playing field for women. However, little is known of the emancipatory possibilities offered by digital entrepreneurship for women constrained by social and cultural practices such as male guardianship of female relatives and legally enforced gender segregation. In order to address this research gap, this paper examines women’s engagement in digital entrepreneurship in emerging economies with restrictive social and cultural practices. In so doing, we draw upon the analytical frameworks provided by entrepreneurship as emancipation and cyberfeminism. Using empirical data from an exploratory investigation of entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia, we examine how women use digital technologies in the pursuit of entrepreneurial opportunities. Our findings reveal that women in Saudi Arabia use digital entrepreneurship to transform their embodied selves and lived realities rather than to escape gender embodiment as offered by the online environment.

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Change history

  • 19 February 2020

    The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The co-author's name Caren Crowley and Richard T. Harrison were missing in the published paper.

Notes

  1. An abaya “cloak” is a simple, loose over-garment, essentially a robe-like dress, worn by some women in parts of the Muslim world

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DCU Business School, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland

    Maura McAdam

  2. Maastricht School of Management, Endepolsdomein 150, Maastricht, 6229 EP, The Netherlands

    Caren Crowley

  3. University of Edinburgh Business School, 29 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH89JS, UK

    Richard T. Harrison

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  1. Maura McAdam
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  2. Caren Crowley
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  3. Richard T. Harrison
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Correspondence to Maura McAdam.

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McAdam, M., Crowley, C. & Harrison, R.T. Digital girl: cyberfeminism and the emancipatory potential of digital entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Small Bus Econ 55, 349–362 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-019-00301-2

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