Women’s social entrepreneurship and livelihood innovation: an exploratory study from India

Abstract

Women-owned social enterprises have tremendous potential in guaranteeing sustainable livelihoods along with women empowerment. This study demonstrates efforts and explains progresses registered by a unique socio-entrepreneurial venture in an Indian federal state of Maharashtra. The article uses extensive literature review and follows a case-based approach to assess the elements of strategic interventions required to attain women empowerment and social development. Focus group discussions with the members and women entrepreneurs reveal that this unique form of social entrepreneurship has enormous capacities to support entrepreneurship development drives through timely and adequate access to resources, knowledge, and skills and also to pave the way toward community development, addressing peripheral issues with social, cultural, and ecological dimensions.