Bridging the Digital Technology Gender Gap: Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs in Mashonaland West Zimbabwe

Abstract

The digital technology gap presents significant challenges for women entrepreneurs in Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe. The study adopted interpretivism philosophy. Twenty-five women entrepreneur leaders with more expertise and knowledge of women entrepreneurship in the context of the study made up the study participants. Purposive sampling was chosen for qualitative data in this study. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic approach and the data were presented in themes. All the phases of the study, namely, data collection, data analysis, data presentation, conclusions and recommendations, were conducted with ethical considerations in mind. In the context of Mashonaland West, women entrepreneurs consistently report limited access to technology training, which further widens the gap in digital competencies necessary for modern business operations. Lack of infrastructure, security and trust, and customary and statutory laws discriminate against females, as norms restrict females from having their own properties, such as digital technology tools. Moreover, it was indicated that financial inclusion is critical for empowering women entrepreneurs to limit their capacity to invest in digital technologies. If the discovered challenges are not addressed, the digital gender gap will remain, and the entrepreneurial activities of women will remain compromised. The originality of the study is underscored by the lack of extensive studies specific to the Zimbabwean context, where socio-political and economic intricacies significantly influence women’s entrepreneurial endeavours. While many studies have focused on broader regions, this specific local study fills a notable void in the existing literature.