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Yayın “Revealing the gender gap: factors contrıbuting to women’s access to and use of external capital in social entrepreneurship”(Işık Üniversitesi, Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, 2026-01-13) Özbay, Eser; Teker, Dilek; Işık Üniversitesi, Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Çağdaş İşletme Yönetimi Doktora Programı; Işık Üniversitesi, School of Grauate Studies, Contemporary Business ManagementSocial entrepreneurship plays a significant role in achieving inclusive and sustainable development by offering innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges. However, despite their strong social impact potential, women social entrepreneurs (WSEs) face substantial and multidimensional barriers in accessing external finance, which is one of the key determinants of business growth and sustainability. Gender-based biases, discriminatory evaluation practices, limited access to social and professional networks, and structural inequalities embedded in the financing ecosystem reduce the visibility and credibility of women-led social enterprises in the eyes of investors, leading them to secure significantly lower levels of external funding compared to similarly sized ventures. Against this background, grounded in the Six-Factor Integrated Theoretical Framework developed for this research, the study aims to examine WSEs’ access to and use of external capital in Türkiye from a gender-based and comparative perspective, and to provide empirical evidence and policy recommendations. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, drawing data from both social entrepreneurs and investors. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with 7 women social entrepreneurs, 6 men social entrepreneurs, and 6 investors, while quantitative data were obtained through two separate surveys administered to 104 social entrepreneurs and 101 investors. A total of thirteen hypotheses were tested to examine how gender-based inequalities are reproduced through cognitive, institutional, and relational mechanisms. Quantitative findings indicate that WSEs perceive stronger gender-based barriers than men, view gender as an important determinant of access to finance, and report lower levels of financial self-efficacy and more limited access to investor networks. Investor-related findings reveal that, although awareness of gender bias is widespread, such awareness does not automatically translate into gender-equal funding decisions. Stereotypical evaluations based on sectoral fit, leadership perceptions, and risk assessments continue to shape investment decision-making processes. In contrast, transparency and standardized evaluation criteria were found to be more effective in reducing perceived gender bias. A holistic interpretation of the findings demonstrates that gender inequality in entrepreneurial finance stems not from individual capacity deficiencies, but from the design of financial decision-making systems and institutional structures. Accordingly, the study emphasizes the need for a multi-layered intervention approach that simultaneously addresses policy, organizational, and individual levels. At the policy level, legal recognition of social enterprises and the development of gender-responsive financial instruments are critical. At the organizational level, the adoption of standardized and gender-neutral evaluation processes is essential, while at the individual level, strengthening women social entrepreneurs’ financial confidence and investors’ reflexive awareness plays a supportive role. Despite its limitations related to self-reported data and context-specific sampling, the study provides a strong empirical foundation by examining WSEs’ access to finance from both entrepreneur and investor perspectives. It highlights the importance of systemic collaboration for the development of an inclusive and gender-responsive financial ecosystem.
