Entrepreneurial ecosystems are crucial for fostering entrepreneurial activity, with business networks playing a key role in socially embedding entrepreneurs (Jack and Anderson, 2002; Wigren Kristoferson et al., 2022). However, gendered dynamics often disadvantage women entrepreneurs in this process (Murnieks et al., 2020; Brush et al., 2019; Mcadam et al., 2019). To address these disparities, women-only business networks have emerged, aiming to enhance gender capital and legitimacy (Mcadam et al., 2019). While beneficial, these networks may limit access to broader ecosystem networks and affect symbolic capital negatively (Harrison et al., 2020; Marlow and Martinez Dy, 2018). This paper examines which mechanisms shape women entrepreneurs’ decisions regarding business network engagement and their access to resources.
