Burden to blessing: exploring the competencies and motivations of physically challenged women entrepreneurs in the emerging economies

Globally, entrepreneurship promotes innovation, creativity, and self-employment and is essential to wealth generation and socioeconomic development (Sajjad et al., 2020). Entrepreneurship is needed for promoting economic growth and development, especially in emerging economies where traditional job possibilities may be limited. However, women in these countries face a variety of problems, including cultural, financial, and social obstacles. Physically disadvantaged women may face many more challenges. For instance, there is a myth that only those with good physical health can pursue entrepreneurship (Williams and Patterson, 2019). Despite these obstacles, many of these women have chosen business as a form of empowerment, economic independence, and social inclusion. The possibilities and difficulties faced by physically challenged women in developing countries continue to receive limited attention, despite an increasing number of entrepreneurship studies (Ganle et al., 2020). Hwang and Roulstone (2015) and Bagheri and Abbariki (2017) contend that there is a dearth of research on women with impairments who pursue business. Further study on business among physically challenged women in developing nations like Bangladesh is thus urgently needed.

There are many definitions for persons with impairments. According to Schalock et al. (2021), these people have limited mobility because of various physical, mental, visual and hearing disabilities. Hussain (2021) described disability as an inability to perform tasks at the same level that prevents one from being involved in day-to-day activities. People who are unable to satisfy social obligations because of physical or mental problems, whether they were born or acquired later, are classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Ten percent of the population, or 16 million people, are estimated to have PWDs by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). Men comprise the majority of PWDs (3.29%), followed by women (2.34%) and most individuals have physical disabilities. In spite of this, there are still large gaps for women in healthcare, education and the workforce, making it necessary for women to work for their economic integration via improved access to these sectors. According to statistics from 36,000 homes in the BBS survey, the prevalence of disabilities was 2.45% in urban areas and 2.92% in rural regions (Hussain, 2021).

The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees fundamental human rights, including social security, to all citizens. The entitlement to social security for those who are unemployed, sick, physically challenged, widowed, orphaned, or who experience comparable conditions is explicitly stated in Article 15. Therefore, examining the capabilities and business potential of physically challenged women entrepreneurs may encourage and enable women without jobs. Research on physically challenged women entrepreneurs is conspicuously lacking, particularly in Bangladesh (Tomos et al., 2020), despite prior studies on women entrepreneurs often being discriminatory and gender-biased. By investigating the real-world experiences of physically challenged business owners in southern Bangladesh, this research seeks to close this gap. According to McIntosh and Wright (2019), policies that consider the reality of these disadvantaged women entrepreneurs may be beneficial if their experiences are investigated. Despite confronting several challenges such as physical constraints, restricted access to education, hostile work conditions and lack of disability benefits, no research has yet been conducted in Bangladesh to examine the perspectives and experiences of women entrepreneurs with physical disabilities. The research learned how these women overcame obstacles to influence more women to pursue business. Dakung et al. (2017) emphasized the significance of overcoming disability for entrepreneurial success, stating that doing so provides physically challenged women with significant experiences in negotiating uncertainties and disappointment.

By knowing the skills and drive of physically challenged women entrepreneurs, governments can encourage them to start their own businesses. Such policies may promote social and labor inclusion by addressing important socioeconomic concerns, which would benefit not only physically challenged women entrepreneurs and their families but also Bangladeshi society as a whole. Furthermore, this research offers fresh perspectives derived from the real-life experiences of physically challenged female entrepreneurs, which may influence favorable opinions in the broader public. From a practical perspective, these observations may direct the development of approaches to modify the perceptions of physically challenged women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

The focus on physically challenged women's entrepreneurship for economic development has shown important prospects, especially in developing nations where all kinds of women have equal scope to start businesses. According to Jahur (2020), women make significant contributions to SMEs, which is around 25% of Bangladesh's GDP. In this context, physically challenged women are lagging behind due to several impediments. Nevertheless, there are still many obstacles that physically challenged women entrepreneurs from different communities in developing nations such as Bangladesh must overcome to fully integrate into the global business scene. Insufficient research has been previously done to fully comprehend the obstacles, drivers and skills of physically challenged women who are entrepreneurs. Especially, no research has been found regarding the challenges and competencies of physically challenged female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

However, to reduce poverty and encourage profitable ventures, physically challenged women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh often operate small-sized traditional businesses. Researchers have found that socioeconomic growth at the individual and community levels is enhanced by entrepreneurship (Ratten, 2020). Guma (2015) also highlighted the need for physically challenged women to actively participate in the nation's economy in order to lessen prejudice. This emphasizes the need to study the obstacles, drivers and skills of physically challenged women who have entrepreneurial ventures. More investigation into this issue is required, especially considering the practical experiences of women entrepreneurs who are physically challenged. It is essential to comprehend how physically challenged women entrepreneurs deal with obstacles in the context of their physical limitations by using their strengths and motivations.

To support the claim that minimal previous study has been identified specifically on entrepreneurship among physically challenged women, a comprehensive table has been drawn, compiling global studies on women's entrepreneurship. This table highlights the limited focus on this particular group and underscores the broader relevance of addressing this gap. Table 1 presents recent studies on women’s entrepreneurship, outlining key findings and indicating areas requiring further exploration. These research gaps emphasize the need for deeper investigation, particularly concerning the motivations and challenges faced by physically challenged women entrepreneurs.

Table 1 presents the works on female entrepreneurship. Although some of these works address the obstacles experienced by female entrepreneurs, no article addresses the combined challenges, motivations and competencies of physically challenged women entrepreneurs. Consequently, researchers decided to focus on this specific issue.

There are many possible explanations for a physically challenged woman's decision to pursue a business. For instance, it may be necessary to ensure the family's financial stability, to become financially independent and independent of others, to enhance work-life balance, to increase revenue, or to obtain tangible advantages. Even though these elements could have a great impact on an entrepreneur with a disability's drive, the literature also mentions a few additional reasons. Academic research suggests that the drive to overcome social marginalization or discrimination is often associated with entrepreneurship. Literature has claimed that one of the main motivations of physically challenged women entrepreneurs is the opportunity to join the workforce via entrepreneurship (Zamore, 2014). A physically challenged person's confidence can be built and rehabilitation can be secured if the business is successful (Harper and Momm, 1989). Those who have had a disability from an early age are likely to have disadvantages in the educational system, mostly because of limited access to educational resources, according to Muñoz et al. (2020). Their educational credentials are lowered due to this experience, making it much harder for them to enter the workforce and find employment. In addition, individuals who have experienced disability throughout their working life discover that their options in the labor market are restricted because of disability or prejudice on the part of employers (Bagheri and Abbariki, 2017). They concluded that starting a business is the only viable choice. According to Barba-Sánchez et al. (2019), discrimination in the workplace is the main cause of women with disabilities turning to entrepreneurship. The autonomy that comes with becoming an entrepreneur, which enables individuals to better manage their work-life balance and adjust to their disability status, is another reason mentioned in the research (Halabisky, 2014).

Physically challenged women choose to become independent entrepreneurs and work autonomously, which helps them avoid social misfits and gain access to difficult environments. According to González-Padilla et al. (2024), these business owners consider how important their individual identities are to their communities. Similarly, Mota et al. (2020) note that physically challenged people have few opportunities in the regular job market; thus, their negative opinions and health limitations push them into entrepreneurship. Numerous studies have highlighted the difficulties that people with impairments experience when opening their own businesses. According to Santoro et al. (2020), physically challenged female entrepreneurs face various daily obstacles. Barriers include insufficient public information on disabilities, uneven socioeconomic possibilities and inaccessible facilities (Larsson, 2021). They also pointed out that physically challenged women entrepreneurs lack access to funding, business assistance and training. These barriers limit the capabilities of entrepreneurs with physical disabilities; however, some succeed in spite of these institutional restrictions. However, social justice and equal opportunities for entrepreneurs with physical disabilities highlight the importance of fostering an environment that allows them to pursue successful business endeavors (Panda, 2018). To help entrepreneurs, regardless of their status as disabled, governments must address issues such as taxes, laws, capital availability and trade policies, as Dana et al. (2020) emphasized. Disability-afflicted entrepreneurs have admirable professional traits despite obstacles. Entrepreneurs with physical disabilities prioritize people and show compassion and respect to their staff members. According to Leitch et al. (2013), this shows that company owners with disabilities possess important qualities essential for success, such as knowledge, skills, character traits and a positive outlook.

Due to restricted access to formal education and employment opportunities, people with disabilities often experience exclusion from social, economic, and political systems. There is a way to overcome these social and economic obstacles through entrepreneurship. However, becoming a successful business is difficult for people with impairments. Significant obstacles to the formation of new businesses include capital availability, lack of business expertise and a shortage of key personnel (Saxena and Pandya, 2018). The primary motivation for people with disabilities to join the workforce is to pursue entrepreneurship, which offers them a feasible means of overcoming the usual obstacles that come with traditional employment, such as unfavorable opinions, mobility problems, insufficient vocational training programs and a dearth of opportunities for career advancement (Csillag et al., 2019). Economic, cultural and personal backgrounds present challenges and barriers that may be especially noticeable for people with disabilities.

The number of physically challenged women entrepreneurs is rising rapidly worldwide, and scholarly interest in this field has recently grown. They are well acknowledged for their contributions to economic development and entrepreneurship, including GDP growth and the generation of jobs (Hechevarría et al., 2019). Studies have indicated that physically challenged women entrepreneurs are essential in combating social exclusion and poverty. These women are able to overcome physical and cultural constraints because they possess a special combination of entrepreneurial talents derived from their inner traits and life experiences, such as resilience, inventiveness and flexibility. Women entrepreneurs with physical disabilities show incredible tenacity, inventiveness and ingenuity in conquering everyday challenges (Jammaers and Zanoni, 2020). Their own encounters with disabilities cultivate empathy, allowing them to recognize their clients' most pressing needs and establish enduring relationships with them. These women are excellent at addressing problems, making creative answers to accessibility issues, and fostering inclusive cultures. They motivate people and go above and beyond expectations with their persistence and excellent work ethic. Their distinct viewpoints and leadership attributes encourage collaboration and networks of support both within and beyond the disability community, resulting in vibrant communities around their companies. Ratten (2023) emphasized how physically challenged women entrepreneurs' adaptation and tenacity contribute to the success of their businesses. In a similar way, Wadhwani et al. (2020) emphasized the value of encouraging networks in boosting the abilities and successes of physically challenged women in the business world. Although women in our country may not have the same technical expertise as women in other countries, they still have a wide range of skill sets, including competence in communication, home tasks, business management and the culinary arts (Kašperová, 2021). Even though they do not have degrees, their work experience provides them with sufficient knowledge in these areas. By identifying and developing these skills, physically challenged women can become prosperous company owners and contribute to a more diverse and equal workplace.

The theoretical ground of this research is on some considerable theoretical frameworks that, together, improve our understanding of how physically challenged women experience entrepreneurship in developing nations. This research incorporates the philosophy of social entrepreneurship, highlighting the possibility of entrepreneurship to bring about constructive social transformation by seeing physically challenged female entrepreneurs as social innovators. Furthermore, by demonstrating how these entrepreneurs use special resources to overcome obstacles and generate value for their companies, the resource-based view improves the understanding of these entrepreneurs' skills. Furthermore, motivation theories that turn hardship into opportunity, such as self-determination theory, provide insight into internal and external drivers that encourage physically challenged women to pursue entrepreneurship. The aim of this synthesis is to provide a thorough understanding of these entrepreneurs' entrepreneurial navigation for academics and practitioners, as well as provide useful suggestions for developing inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems in emerging nations.

This study employed narrative inquiry as its methodology. Narrative inquiry relies on brief stories or personal narratives. Narrative inquiry was the methodology used in this research. Storytelling forms the basis of narrative inquiry, as stories are essential to the human experience, according to Aladsani (2022). Stories are human viewpoints that include deeply rooted social and cultural standards, according to Riesmann (2002). According to Aladsani (2022), creating a narrative experience is a meditative process that involves telling a tale, living a story, and reliving a story. Narratives facilitate the representation of intrinsic experiences by comparing actual and imaginary experiences, the past and present, and the individual and expert (Colla and Kurtz, 2024; Mertova and Webster, 2019). In several previous studies, researchers have employed storytelling to present authentic and vivid portrayals within appropriate contexts (Sandelowski, 1991). To investigate possible obstacles faced by rural female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, Rahman et al. (2023) used storytelling. Thus, narrative storytelling is often used in qualitative research to investigate social issues through conversation (Aladsani, 2022). According to Mertova and Webster (2019), narrative research can offer a thorough understanding that quantitative research cannot in many cases. This is because narrative research adequately addresses human aspects, complexity and multiple perspectives. Narrative inquiry was used in the research to explore the challenges and prospects encountered by diverse economically exploited women entrepreneurs in rural areas of Bangladesh.

Prior to the interviews, potential participants were informed about the study's purpose and topic. The opportunity to ask questions about the research was provided to the participants. The investigator utilized a semi-structured interview guide. The participants were free to discuss whatever details of their experiences they desired to share, and the researcher was able to enable them to do so thanks to the semi-structured interview guide. The respondents were instructed to identify themselves and provide the study's demographic details before the interview. The interviewers tried to follow up with questions on the interviewees' chances and difficulties in surviving their traditional businesses after they had completed their experiences.

Twelve physically challenged women entrepreneurs with more than three years of company experience were selected as research participants from Bangladesh's districts of Gopalganj, Bagerhat and Khulna. Earlier studies conducted by Moral et al. (2024) have taken four districts into consideration as study areas. From this reference, three districts as study areas of the current study can be justified. Primary data were gathered through face-to-face interviews. The period of data collection was from May 2023 to October 2023. It took five months to establish a good connection with the respondents and obtain an accurate picture with little response bias. To overcome any potential discomfort while discussing personal experiences, the researcher must establish a trustworthy connection that makes close work easier. This can be done using the narrative approach (Wimberly, 2011). Two skilled interviewers who had received training from professionals (such as university lecturers) in acquiring participant data using a narrative style conducted the interviews. An audio recorder was used to capture the respondents' answers. Each participant spoke about their business experiences for an average of 45 min. A permission note was used to verify the respondents' consent before the interview. In addition, pictures were taken of the responders going about their business. The methodology described above, together with the supporting documentation, validates the study's validity and reliability in accordance with the guidelines for the qualitative narrative approach provided by Mills and Robson (2020). The interviews were held in a relaxed and comfortable setting to explore the participants’ experiences. The participant was informed that they could end the interview at any time and that there was no penalty for leaving the research at any time.

This study employed purposive sampling, a type of non-probability sampling. Although it involves a small sample size, purposive sampling provides adequate data relevant to the situation being examined (Farhati, 2024; Patton, 2002). Notably, to address the purpose and objective of the research, participants must fulfill the requirements. According to Patton (2002), there is no specific sample size for narrative inquiry research. Therefore, the sample size varies according to the type of research, but generally, 6–10 participants is the suggested sample size (Tutar et al., 2024; Rahman et al., 2023). When the study was completed, researchers stopped gathering data, and participants failed to give any further information (Gentles et al., 2015). From these viewpoints, this research collected information from 15 marginalized female business owners who have been operating conventional enterprises.

All respondents were chosen from three southern districts of Bangladesh, where women with physical disabilities are involved in traditional business activities. They face challenges such as their physical conditions, low living standards, socio-economic hardships, limited formal education, cultural barriers, and resource scarcity, and restricted access to money are all contributing factors to their ongoing misfortune. Demographic data about the respondents are presented below and summarized in Table 2.

According to Francis (2018), validity in narrative inquiry refers to the quality of data analysis and the reliability of the data's consistency. To verify the accuracy of the data, several methods were considered. All interviews were recorded audibly, and a professional transcriptionist wrote the transcript word-for-word. The researchers checked the texts and audio recordings for correctness. Transcripts were updated when required. According to Stahl and King (2020), an additional method for verifying data reliability is to have respondents review the transcribed text. Four participants were given transcriptions of their interviews to read to confirm their correctness. To ensure that all transcriptions were correct, the researcher also listened to the original recordings. The participants were informed that they could review the results and determine whether or not they correctly reflected their personal experiences.

Analysis was conducted after the first reading of the whole transcript. Lieblich et al.’s (1998) earlier investigation served as the foundation of analytical standards. The tales were read aloud many times, and afterward, an underlying structure or themes began to emerge. In the analysis, recurring themes were identified. Analysis was made possible by identifying underlying patterns or recurring themes in the tales. The data were sorted using the categorical-content perspective. Then, depending on the substance of each participant's speech or utterance, the sentences were categorized. To apply a categorical content analysis approach, the current research investigation followed the guidelines provided by Lieblich et al. (1998). The process includes selecting the subtext, establishing content categories, organizing the data, and drawing inferences from the results. During their experiences (interviews), a few respondents mentioned similar difficulties and hindrances. Therefore, throughout the analysis section, the writers expressed the opinions of many respondents. The authors noted related replies on the same subject in the discussion and findings sections.

In recent years, Bangladesh's female entrepreneurs, including physically challenged women, have made considerable contributions to the economic prosperity of the country. Several physically challenged women are using microbusinesses to enhance their personal and family incomes and to improve their communities. They continue to pursue business despite several setbacks and use their experience to overcome difficulties. Researchers have discovered a range of difficulties, drives, and skills influencing the pursuits of disabled women entrepreneurs through their testimonies. As shown in Figure 1, these elements fall into three primary groups, which are further explained in the following sections.

Self-efficacy refers to the extent to which an individual believes in their ability to accomplish a specific goal. This demonstrates a person's level of assurance and confidence in their ability to do certain tasks (Njele, 2019). The strong need for autonomy and self-determination that drives a physically challenged woman to pursue entrepreneurship is often the source of her motivation. R3 has shown that people with disabilities are not a burden by saying, “I do not want to live on anyone's pity.” My goal is to turn my incapacity into an asset.” Her goal is to continue studying on her own. In a similar tone, R9 says she has the flexibility to choose from her business. In Bangladesh, wives usually settle down to be housewives, yet they often feel alone after their husbands pass away. Living with parents or in-laws may be considered a hardship for many, particularly in middle-class households. Despite her father's encouragement, R3, who has two boys and lives with her parents, launched her firm to become independent.

While some women are supported by family, it may be challenging to beg for money at all times. This encouraged a strong desire for independence. R11 decided to pursue business to escape reliance, even though numerous relatives offered to assist.

Many women who establish their own enterprises do so to overcome financial obstacles, especially those that disproportionately impact widows and women with disabilities. These women start enterprises to break free from the stereotype that they are burdened and become self-sufficient. Respondents like R2 and R12, who prioritized education over child labor and had young children and disabilities, opted for entrepreneurship as a means of supporting their families and securing the futures of their children. Physically challenged women entrepreneurs also become business owners because they experience severe financial hardship after the death of their husbands. They launch enterprises to support their children and pay for their everyday needs because they have no one else to turn to. For example, R7 started a company after her husband passed away to ensure that her children had an education rather than being forced to work.

To enlighten the words of R (7), R (5) says in her story,

(R3) also says the same. Her father was supporting her, but there was an uncertainty about her children's future. She did not want to sacrifice her children's future, so she became an entrepreneur.

Many female entrepreneurs start businesses to achieve financial independence and stability. R2 and R6 emphasize this, with R6 stating, “Even with a broken hand, I do not want to be a burden. I want my family to be well-off.” Even though they were financially stable, several respondents had to start enterprises to maintain their quality of life due to increased living expenditures. Despite being crippled, R8 and R10 still want to maintain their financial security. In a similar vein, R7 and R4, who were stable upon the loss of their spouses, launched enterprises to maintain their financial stability despite rising expenses. Stated in R (12) words,

R10, the most successful entrepreneur among respondents, helps the needy. She has run her business for seven years without assistance and says, “Almighty has given me the ability; I do not want to be dependent on anyone. I employ people to help them become solvent.”

R10's motivation to help others was strengthened by her own hardships. Likewise, R12 ensures that no one who asks for assistance leaves her home empty-handed. According to Indian research, handicapped entrepreneurs who hire people with disabilities or create rehabilitative technology often have this drive to serve others. However, they do not have the time or money to do what they are doing (Klangboonkrong and Baines, 2022). The motivations of physically challenged women entrepreneurs are summarized in Table 3.

Social-cultural variables have a significant impact on women's entrepreneurship, especially among physically challenged women entrepreneurs (Guelich et al., 2021). Respondents mentioned social criticism, with many people stating that women should stay home and not pursue entrepreneurship. Research indicates that these social and cultural problems are intimately related to inadequate work-life balance and a lack of family support (Guelich et al., 2021). Despite this, people respect their products and services because they are distinctive.

The (R11) respondent's family tries to stop her many times from doing business. She mentioned that in this regard,

Respondent R5 and R7 face significant criticism from her family and neighbors and experience harassment during her business activities. She described these challenges in detail.

Reducing social and cultural barriers for female entrepreneurs can be achieved by providing enough family support. Most respondents, who are also parents of children, experience emotional, mental, and physical difficulties juggling work and personal obligations. They looked to their families for support, but often received none; instead, they were told not to pursue commercial endeavors. R11 brought attention to a worrisome issue by pointing out that the male-dominated culture did not provide her any help. Male store owners threatened to stop doing business with her when she started her tea shop. She described the challenges as follows:

Because she was a woman, respondent R5 first had trouble getting orders and was paid less for her tailoring services. This made female entrepreneurs invisible and maintained gender disparities in entrepreneurship (Gogar, 2019). Formal, informal, cultural, social, and political institutions that perceive women as inferior to men are the root causes of gender bias in the Global South (Ojediran and Anderson, 2020).

Lack of funding is the biggest obstacle stopping physically challenged women business owners in Bangladesh from growing their businesses (Gogar, 2019). Compared to male entrepreneurs with impairments, they encounter stricter credit rating restrictions and fewer financing opportunities. Obstacles included finding guarantors, paying high interest rates, getting false information about loans, paying expensive service fees and dealing with unhelpful banks, according to a BIDS poll. R5 emphasized these monetary difficulties based on her own management experience with her business. Due to a dearth of assistance, disabled women entrepreneurs like R12 encountered several obstacles while trying to obtain bank loans for their businesses. Despite increased lending rates, people went to nearby NGOs when banks declined. Rural women often depend on household finances, personal savings, loans from friends and family, or even high-interest money providers because they have more restricted access to banks than their urban counterparts. Refusing to serve as guarantors, male counterparts may put pressure on their spouses to split loans for family needs, which may put a burden on debt payments and firm finances.

Prior studies have revealed that individuals with physical disabilities often have restricted access to financial and educational resources. Unless their concept is really practical, starting a firm solely for financial gain might make them even more susceptible (Jammaers and Williams, 2023). Moreover, physically challenged women entrepreneurs have fewer financing alternatives than male entrepreneurs and must meet tighter credit requirements. Without parental assistance, individuals find it difficult to obtain loans from family members or seed money.

Specifically, respondents R2 and R3 faced substantial difficulties in obtaining capital, and they launched their businesses with minimal savings and borrowed funds. They described the challenges as follows:

Respondents R4 and R8, who run a grocery shop and street food stall, respectively, face challenges in purchasing products regularly due to financial constraints. There are times when they cannot afford supplies for their shops, which impacts their businesses. They shared this in their stories:

In the absence of family support, physically challenged women experience challenges in obtaining funds, finding guarantors and managing exorbitant interest and service fees. Respondent R6 had difficulties in regaining funds from clients who made purchases using credit. In order to successfully launch a business and get and use microloans, a women's agency is essential. Nonetheless, women's choices and decision-making in this area are influenced by elements at the individual, home, microfinance institution, and community levels (Ranabahu and Tanima, 2022).

According to Norstedt and Germundsson (2023), physically challenged women entrepreneurs encounter prejudice and unequal treatment, impeding their capacity to make profitable contributions to society. They could experience trouble with company planning, purchasing supplies, handling money and handling logistics because they lack the necessary expertise and experience. The likelihood of a firm succeeding is minimal in the absence of the required resources, expertise, and knowledge. To maintain efficient distribution routes for goods and services, many handicapped women lack marketing knowledge (Jahura, 2020).

Because of perceived deficiencies in customer service, disabled women entrepreneurs often experience delays in obtaining money from retailers. Prolonged payment delays result from firms’ inability to make payments on time. They also incur additional travel costs because they need specialized vehicles to market their goods. For example, respondent R12 travels around 600 kilometers each month to buy items at wholesale pricing, which affects profitability because of transportation expenses and shop closures. Profit optimization is further impeded by an inadequate understanding of supply chain management and communication, even in the case of high-quality products.

The respondent (R5) runs a tailor shop, but at the beginning, she was not very skilled at it, so she could not attract many customers. In her story, she told that,

Being inexperienced in a particular field leads anyone to make additional errors in that work. Respondent R6 experienced financial loss due to lack of experience. She mentioned this problem in her story:

To adapt to changing times, entrepreneurs must learn new competencies. Most female business owners lack the necessary sales skills to maintain appropriate distribution channels for their goods and services. Jahura (2020). The responder (R4) is a cake store owner; however, due to her advanced age, she is unaware of the current theme cakes and the newest designs that are in fashion. As she said,

Physically challenged women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh face a multitude of hurdles related to business skills, such as inadequate education, training, raw material procurement, market accessibility, management, entrepreneurial abilities, information availability, and network support. These obstacles impede their success.

Entrepreneurs with disabilities face numerous physical obstacles, including limited accessibility to public spaces and workplaces, a lack of adaptive equipment, and inadequate infrastructure. For instance, R12, who was disabled from birth, faces mobility challenges and operates her business from home because of difficulty walking far distances. In addition, inaccessible transportation and physical stamina hinder networking and business operations. Some older-aged entrepreneurs, like R2 and R3, face physical challenges due to age, making business operations difficult. R4 had to rely on her brother for farm help due to physical limitations, while R8, with a humped back, shifted from selling sharee to coconut, relying on her nephew. Despite these challenges, these entrepreneurs persevere to sustain their livelihoods in the changing business environment. R4 had crippled legs by birth. With this, it is impossible for her to go outside every day because she cannot take a shop outside. In her story, she said,

R (1) used to stitch Katha for a long time, which needs patience, puts a long pressure on the eyes, which harms their sight. In her story, she said,

Balancing family responsibilities with entrepreneurial efforts is one of the major challenges faced by women entrepreneurs with physical disabilities. With the loss of their husbands, these women shoulder all responsibilities, often with only children to care for. Balancing business and family becomes even more challenging for mothers who must divide their focus and energy between the two. R (5) says that:

Respondent R7, who used to spend ample time with her child, now struggles to do so because of increased family responsibilities. Many women, who are emotionally vulnerable, find it challenging to focus on their businesses despite these circumstances. In her story, she told that,

Respondent R12 faced immense difficulty in managing her business and caring for her three children after her husband's death. She mentioned this problem in her story:

In Bangladesh, physically challenged women face significant societal and economic constraints that limit their activities to within the family. Traditionally, there is a negative perception among these women working outside the family, and they often must contend with familial opposition to start their own businesses.

Physically challenged women entrepreneurs face challenges in their marriages because of societal misconceptions, lack of support, and strain caused by entrepreneurship and disability-related hurdles. Younger, unmarried respondents also encounter these issues, with R1, R3, and R4 facing significant marital strain. Addressing these challenges requires understanding, awareness, and effective communication. Potential partners may struggle with preconceived notions and fears about taking on caregiving responsibilities or facing societal judgments. Education, empathy, and open conversations can help challenge stereotypes and foster more inclusive relationships.

Physically challenged women entrepreneurs often experience contempt from society because of ingrained biases and prejudices surrounding disability. Negative attitudes and misconceptions about their abilities can lead to condescending behavior, exclusion, or skepticism about their ability to successfully run a business. Overcoming contempt requires challenging societal perceptions, advocating for inclusivity, and highlighting the skills and accomplishments of disabled women entrepreneurs (Jing, 2022). (R2) stated:

People mock me for my activities. They demotivate me for my earnings as being a healthy person. They cannot do anything extraordinary compared to me.

The researchers discovered additional difficulties in the respondents' life stories that have nothing to do with the sociocultural, economic, or skill-related difficulties they encountered.

For instance, one of the respondents said, I find it challenging to relocate alone for business purposes because I worry about my security (R1).

The eldest respondent also noted, “I am unable to determine fair pricing for the products because of the lack of up-to-date information.” (R3).

Again, the most senior respondent mentioned that; Due to a lack of updated information regarding the products, I am not getting the appropriate pricing for my products (R9).

Female business owners often receive poor pricing for their goods from wholesalers and consumers due to their lack of experience and access to accurate market information. This finding is consistent with previous research by Uddin (2021).

One other key concern raised by the respondent was that although the government offers many programs and facilities to support female entrepreneurs, I, as a disabled person, do not take advantage of these opportunities. (R4)

Disabled women street business owners may face government barriers related to accessibility, lack of accommodations, and limited support programs. Challenges include inadequate infrastructure, bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining permits, and a lack of targeted assistance programs. Addressing these barriers requires policy changes and increased awareness to promote inclusivity and equal opportunities for disabled women in the business sector. The challenges of physically challenged women entrepreneurs are shown in Table 4 below.

When starting a business, physically challenged women entrepreneurs often have to deal with personal issues. Their skills to get past problems and keep going are very important quality. R (3) and R (12) experienced personal and family issues when their husband died. But they kept patience despite adversity, and that helped them to be successful. In the words of R (3), she says,

Managing money is a key skill for any businessperson. Almost all respondents have practical experience in this skill sector. R (6) (10) and R (8) has shown special expertise, while other respondents are still working to improve. R (5) successfully managed her funds and invested them properly. R (10) is well educated and has learned from her education; now, she is practically implementing her knowledge, which makes her more efficient.

All respondents exhibited great communication skills. For this skill, R (9) can sell food items at home in the evening. Physically challenged women entrepreneurs struggle to survive (Shoba et al., 2021), and this struggle lets them connect with the customer mindset. R (4), R (11) and R (12) strived to survive. Their dedication to their business helps them to serve their customers' needs in a better way. In their words,

Managing time well is important for balancing personal duties with the needs of running a company. Being good at doing important things first and using time well is necessary. Because the majority of respondents were widowed at a young age, they had to maintain their family and their business. This, however, has a negative influence on the performance and success of women-owned businesses because they are unable to devote full attention to their businesses. However, our respondents now have the ability to manage both the home and the workplace. R (7) shared in her story that it was quite challenging for her at the beginning to give time to his young son, but soon she learned to manage time well.

The business world changes constantly, and good entrepreneurs know the need to learn all the time (Aldrich and Yang, 2014). Widowed entrepreneurs may look for skill development opportunities and knowledge about their industry. There is always scope for improvement. Many respondents desire to increase their businesses and learn more about their businesses to improve. R (5) and R (6) shared in their story that they could make any design by just watching the design once.

Some competencies of our respondents are underutilized in their businesses because of various issues. R (4) says that she can make carpets made of jute fiber and baked goods. R (12) states that she is excellent at gardening, and she has planted vegetables in her yard and sells them in the market. R (5) says she can variously item of ‘Pithas’ (traditional sweet of Bangladesh) and has expertise in household chores. In her words,

However, Table 5 represents the summary of the challenges of physically challenged women entrepreneurs.

The concept of women entrepreneurs launching their own enterprises is relatively new. It is becoming increasingly used by business researchers (Agarwal et al., 2020). Unfortunately, not much research has been conducted on physically challenged women who operate their own businesses. Following a suitable evaluation of the findings, Table 3 lists the main motivators that physically challenged women entrepreneurs have as drivers of starting entrepreneurial ventures. The findings demonstrate that women who own and manage their own businesses have various motivating goals, difficulties, and abilities. The findings of this section are related to the motivational theory. Most of the respondents initiated their businesses because of having some motivational forces. The outcomes are also related to the previous study. For instance, a study conducted by Williams and Patterson (2019) on gender disparity and disability and similar kinds of findings. Physically challenged women entrepreneurs face unique challenges in balancing their personal and professional lives in both rural and urban environments. Researchers discovered that physically challenged women struggle to achieve a good work-life balance and seldom obtain social assistance from their families. However, it may be difficult for women with a psychological condition that is concentrated on men to find a compatible spouse. In Bangladeshi culture, they are often seen as wives, mothers, and the ones who are mostly in charge of looking after the house and children. A physical challenge might make it more difficult for women to pursue their business goals. Several specific difficulties were brought to light by this research, such as the sociocultural, financial constraints, family-related problems, skills-related challenges and physical obstacles. Among these challenges, financial challenges, skills-related constraints and physical problems are identified as the major difficulties for physically challenged women entrepreneurs. Moral et al. (2024) found that financial and family problems are significantly deterred entrepreneurial activities in their study on marginal community women entrepreneurs. As a result, many business owners–especially those of small and medium-sized companies–were compelled to close their doors. Others were content to earn little to nothing in revenue (Shammi et al., 2021). Physically challenged women are granted no-collateral loans with interest rates lower than those of abled women in order to accomplish this. This is a frequent occurrence in many poor and developing nations since governments' pledges to help enterprises financially or in other ways after natural or man-made catastrophes are never kept to. In addition, various skill-related issues were noted. Many physically challenged women entrepreneurs have similar driving forces behind their actions. To become independent, physically disadvantaged women must engage in business endeavors. Considering that most of the women are from middle-class or lower-middle-class backgrounds. They needed to go after business to secure their own existence. Even if the number is higher, some physically challenged women also founded their own companies to become self-sufficient and financially independent (Cooney, 2008). Regarding skills, many women are talented in many domains, but they are not useful in the corporate world. As a result, they formed a company after picking up various tasks from outside sources. Numerous individuals have already honed their talents and made money with them (Muñoz et al., 2020). The survey also notes that many people have increased their business acumen and learned new skills. Finally, researchers of this study look into the competencies of physically challenged women entrepreneurs and found that metal peace, ability to manage accounts, well communication, balance between work and life, and tendency to learn the new things are the main competencies. The findings in this section can be viewed through the lens of resource-based view theory. However, based on the findings of this study a conceptual framework has been proposed in Figure 1.

Many barriers stand in the way of physically challenged female entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, including limited access to capital, a shortage of skilled labor, inadequate infrastructure, a lack of market knowledge and a lack of land. In Bangladesh, physically challenged women break with tradition by starting their own businesses to support their families and become financially independent. However, they encounter obstacles such as scarce land, cultural constraints, lack of expertise, and physical challenges. The government should implement inclusive programs that provide lending services without relying on collateral, provide affordable interest rates, and guarantee equitable financial help to promote its entrepreneurial endeavors. Additionally, there must be a shift in traditional perceptions about women's roles. Highlighting the achievements of physically challenged business owners may help to bring about this transformation. Through their business journey, these women learned endurance, patience, financial competence, networking ability, and flexibility. Despite social barriers and physical barriers, their skills are readily apparent, prompting government initiatives to support and facilitate their advancement. By harnessing the power of collaboration, Bangladesh can create an environment where bereaved women thrive in business and make meaningful contributions to the nation's economic growth.

Entrepreneurial endeavors are considered essential to socioeconomic development in impoverished countries (Rindova et al., 2022). This article uses verified business ideas and qualitative research to examine the skills, motives, and socioeconomic hurdles faced by physically challenged women in Bangladesh who want to start their own businesses. It provides insightful information to legislators on how to assist disadvantaged female entrepreneurs in overcoming obstacles. Based on the components examined, it also offers policy recommendations to support entrepreneurial growth. In general, this research emphasizes the need for entrepreneurship to achieve social and economic advancement, particularly in developing nations like Bangladesh, and it attempts to address the particular difficulties experienced by physically challenged women who run family enterprises. Moreover, the findings of the study can offer an opportunity to NGOs and policymakers take the training and financial issues into consideration and assist physically challenged women entrepreneurs by arranging training and providing financial support where needed. Based on solid academic research, the study results may help guide policy choices that benefit Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs, especially regarding handling physical difficulties that affect their companies.

By combining several frameworks to shed light on the entrepreneurial experiences of physically challenged women, this research significantly advances the theory. It provides a thorough grasp of the difficulties, drives, and skills of these entrepreneurs by fusing social entrepreneurship theory, resource-based view and motivation theories. This synthesis contributes to our knowledge of inclusive entrepreneurship in underdeveloped nations and provides a framework for the creation of initiatives aimed at assisting women entrepreneurs in facing physical and social challenges.

Many stakeholders, including physically sound and physically challenged women, entrepreneurs, academics, students and legislators, benefit from this study. By using the experiences of accomplished physically challenged women entrepreneurs, this research offers insightful advice to women who want to start their own companies. The research will be especially helpful to policymakers because it emphasizes the need for services such as accessible loans, family support networks, soft loans, training sessions and courses specifically designed for physically challenged women entrepreneurs. Overall, by addressing relevant issues and creating encouraging circumstances, this research can improve the number of women pursuing entrepreneurship.

The study's conclusions provide guidance for developing safer and more encouraging environments for physically challenged women entrepreneurs. However, there are some limitations to be considered. First, by concentrating only on physically challenged women entrepreneurs, the study may have excluded the viewpoints of other women with poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Second, only three districts in the Khulna division provided data, which limited our knowledge of the difficulties faced by socially disadvantaged women in Bangladesh. Finally, for a detailed and thorough understanding of the challenges, drives and abilities of physically challenged women in their enterprises, further research using mixed methods and quantitative techniques may supplement the qualitative approach employed to examine hurdles.