More than Finance: The Social and Institutional Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs in Mauritius

Abstract

The small island nation of Mauritius has experienced substantial economic development in the last 20 years, yet women-owned enterprises remain comparatively underrepresented. Drawing on focus groups and semi-structured interviews with 26 women entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, this study illuminates the social and institutional challenges they encounter by centering women’s own accounts of these challenges and the types of support they need to succeed. Despite national discourses of empowerment and equality, participants described persistent structural and interpersonal barriers—including discrimination based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, and religion—that leave many feeling undervalued and insufficiently recognized within Mauritian society. At the same time, their narratives reveal both resilience and a clear articulation of the resources they deem most vital. The article concludes with a set of policy recommendations that emerge directly from the women’s voices. By doing so, this study provides an applied, contextually informed set of policy directions for inclusive entrepreneurial development in Mauritius and contributes to intersectionality scholarship by showing how social policy and international migration flows can create new vulnerabilities for local women entrepreneurs.