Role of Women Entrepreneurs in Poverty Reduction: Evidence from South Punjab

Abstract

Women entrepreneurs are crucial towards promoting economic growth and poverty reduction especially in those areas that have less resources as it is the case of South Punjab in Pakistan. This paper focuses on the issue of women-led businesses, their effects on household income, job creation, and empowerment of communities in Multan and Bahawalpur districts. The data on 180 female entrepreneurs were gathered on primary data and through the analysis, descriptive statistics and regression were used to evaluate the correlation between female entrepreneurship and poverty reduction. The results indicate that women entrepreneurs have a great impact on increasing household income, creating new jobs, and developing the local economy. The findings present the relevance of specific policies to empower women entrepreneurs in access to finance, entrepreneurial education, and market access to enhance sustainable reduction of poverty in the area.