Women Entrepreneurial Success Driven by Financial Literacy, Digital Financial Inclusion, Social- Media and Skill Development – Mediating Role of Economic Empowerment

Abstract

Entrepreneurship acts as a powerful catalyst for economic empowerment, yet the nuanced factors shaping women’s entrepreneurial success in developing regions remain underexplored. This calls for a deeper examination of how the dynamic interplay of financial literacy, skill development, social media engagement, and digital financial inclusion fuels women's economic empowerment and entrepreneurial success, with economic empowerment acting as a pivotal bridge linking these enablers to transformative entrepreneurial outcomes. The postulated relationships among these catalysts were validated by evaluating the responses of 270 women entrepreneurs in Jaipur district, Rajasthan, using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling) software. The results reveal that skill development, social media participation, digital financial inclusion, and financial competency significantly enhance both economic empowerment and entrepreneurial success, while economic empowerment partially mediates the impact of these resources on entrepreneurial success. Thus, the analysis emphasizes integrating financial inclusion and digital literacy with skill-building efforts to foster women’s economic engagement. This research provides actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders, encouraging targeted interventions to drive sustainable entrepreneurship among women.