Digitization: a double-edged sword in bridging the gender gap in entrepreneurship

Abstract

Although Europe is one of the most economically developed geographical areas, the gender gap in entrepreneurship is still very high. Digitalization can be a tool that motivates a woman to become an entrepreneur as it facilitates the reconciliation of work and family life. This empirical study relates the gender gap in entrepreneurship to key digitalization indicators in 23 European countries between 2014 and 2022. The methodology used is a panel data GMM. The findings highlight how the improvement of women's skills in information and communication technologies (ICT) or the participation of women in technology companies motivates female entrepreneurs as they enable them to develop businesses in digital environments. The context in which women operate is also relevant to their decision to become entrepreneurs, especially, the increase in the number of “digital” companies. However, much work remains to be done. Women are still far from achieving parity in ICT companies, which should be encouraged through public policies. CZU: 004.89:338.22-055.2; JEL: C33, J16, L26, 031, 035; DOI: https://doi.org/10.53486/isca2024.37