Rural Women Entrepreneurship Impact, Challenges, Success Factors and Emerging Trends in the Global South: A Bibliometric Review

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines the growth of rural women entrepreneurship in the Global South, focusing on the evolution of publication trends, key authors and keyword co-occurrence. Using VOSviewer software, the authors conducted a bibliometric analysis of 37 articles published between 2000 and 2024 from the Scopus database. The study classifies the articles based on three main indicators: the annual number of publications, prominent authors and keyword co-occurrence. The analysis identified six key research themes that emerged from the reviewed papers, providing valuable insights into the current state and progression of rural women entrepreneurship in the Global South. These themes reflect the areas that have garnered the most attention in recent years and offer a foundation for future research. However, the study was limited to articles published in English on the Global South, which may restrict the breadth of the findings. Given that entrepreneurship is a global phenomenon, future research should consider including articles published in other languages and expanding the scope to encompass a more comprehensive global perspective. Additionally, future studies could explore emerging regions where rural women’s entrepreneurial activities are gaining traction, providing a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face in diverse contexts. Broadening the analysis to other regions and languages could also help in identifying under-researched areas and contribute to a more holistic understanding of rural women entrepreneurship.