Abstract

Research on rural women entrepreneurship has attracted the attention of several scholars as well as various governing bodies. In the literature, there have been several studies documenting the success and failure of rural women entrepreneurs. However, it is necessary to know the hierarchy of factors that impact the commencement of the businesses they manage. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that influence rural women's decision in initiating a business venture. It is an attempt to compile a comprehensive list of criteria and rate them in terms of their impact on the advancement of rural women entrepreneurs. A literature review backed by expert opinion resulted in the identification of sixteen different variables and the authors used fuzzy AHP to come up with a comprehensive list of criteria and their degree of importance. An examination of the relative importance of these characteristics can assist policymakers by highlighting important aspects that affect the initiation of the business by rural women entrepreneurs. The findings have the potential to aid in effective decision making by policymakers through emphasizing critical elements relevant for entrepreneurial success.