Digital entrepreneurship can be a powerful avenue for women’s inclusion in the digital economy, with new business opportunities, efficiency gains, and better access to markets and global value chains.

Yet, women entrepreneurs are much less represented in the digital economy than men, especially in developing economies. This gap translates into missed economic opportunities and may aggravate existing gender inequalities.

To understand how to increase women’s participation in the digital economy and reduce the digital gender divide - in line with Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equality) and 8 (decent work and economic growth) - it is critical to investigate the specific needs and constraints that women face as entrepreneurs, as well as the enabling factors that can further support the growth of women-led digital businesses.

Building on the experience of UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women initiative, and more specifically on the first cohort of eTrade for Women Advocates, this paper reviews the main obstacles that women digital entrepreneurs encounter in developing countries. It sheds lights on the entrepreneurial paths of the Advocates, who have been at the forefront of the digital transformation in their respective regions, and highlights some of the factors that have been instrumental to their success as business leaders. It also explores actionable measures that could be put in place to help more women follow in the footsteps of the Advocates to grow successful digital businesses and be influential players in the digital economy.