This paper presents a systematic literature review of immigrant women’s entrepreneurship (IWE), conducted following the PRISMA protocol. Based on 49 empirical studies published between 2008 and 2025, it analyzes the conditions under which immigrant women establish viable and sustainable businesses and the structural, institutional, and social mechanisms that shape their entrepreneurial trajectories. Findings highlight five interconnected thematic axes: motivations (necessity- and opportunity-driven), sectoral orientations (often low-capital service niches), structural and institutional constraints (financing gaps, credential non-recognition, discrimination), resources mobilized (human, social, and financial capital), and success strategies (identity hybridization, transnational entrepreneurship, and network expansion). The review shows that IWE is not merely a survival mechanism but also a vector of emancipation, social mobility, and economic transformation, despite persistent structural inequalities. The paper further identifies major research gaps, calling for multi-level intersectional analyses, North–South comparative designs, impact evaluations of inclusive policies, and the use of mixed and longitudinal methods to capture business evolution over time. Policy recommendations emphasize tailored incubator services, inclusive mentorship programs, context-sensitive training, reformed credit evaluation criteria, innovative financial products, and supportive institutional frameworks recognizing entrepreneurship as a legitimate integration pathway. Overall, this study reframes IWE as a central laboratory for rethinking integration, innovation, and inclusive economic growth in a globalized economy.

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Immigrant Women’s Entrepreneurship: Intersectional Dynamics, Structural Challenges, and Pathways for Inclusive Growth

  • Lydie Koblan Huberson,
  • Félix Zogning

摘要

This paper presents a systematic literature review of immigrant women’s entrepreneurship (IWE), conducted following the PRISMA protocol. Based on 49 empirical studies published between 2008 and 2025, it analyzes the conditions under which immigrant women establish viable and sustainable businesses and the structural, institutional, and social mechanisms that shape their entrepreneurial trajectories. Findings highlight five interconnected thematic axes: motivations (necessity- and opportunity-driven), sectoral orientations (often low-capital service niches), structural and institutional constraints (financing gaps, credential non-recognition, discrimination), resources mobilized (human, social, and financial capital), and success strategies (identity hybridization, transnational entrepreneurship, and network expansion). The review shows that IWE is not merely a survival mechanism but also a vector of emancipation, social mobility, and economic transformation, despite persistent structural inequalities. The paper further identifies major research gaps, calling for multi-level intersectional analyses, North–South comparative designs, impact evaluations of inclusive policies, and the use of mixed and longitudinal methods to capture business evolution over time. Policy recommendations emphasize tailored incubator services, inclusive mentorship programs, context-sensitive training, reformed credit evaluation criteria, innovative financial products, and supportive institutional frameworks recognizing entrepreneurship as a legitimate integration pathway. Overall, this study reframes IWE as a central laboratory for rethinking integration, innovation, and inclusive economic growth in a globalized economy.