Abstract
Women's entrepreneurship has emerged as a pivotal and innovative pathway for addressing socioeconomic challenges, particularly in developing economies. While much of the existing literature on entrepreneurship highlights the role of formal institutions within entrepreneurial ecosystems, sociocultural dimensions have received comparatively limited attention. This study examines the influence of family support, social capital, and government support on women's entrepreneurial activities in Bangladesh, with self-efficacy serving as a mediating variable. Employing a quantitative design, survey data were collected from 297 Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs and analyzed using the PLS-SEM approach. The findings demonstrate that social capital plays a critical role as both a direct and indirect driver of women's entrepreneurship. Conversely, family support and government support reveal significant indirect effects, with variations observed across marital status groups. Multigroup analysis indicates that unmarried women entrepreneurs experience a stronger influence of social capital compared to their married counterparts. Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) theory, the findings underscore that social resources, particularly social capital, serve as key enablers of entrepreneurial engagement, while family and government support contribute indirectly. These insights highlight the need for policymakers to develop targeted initiatives such as awareness programs, capacity-building workshops, and women-focused entrepreneurial institutions that can foster confidence and strengthen the participation of women in entrepreneurial ventures.