Empowering women entrepreneurs in developing economies: a model for building an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Egypt

Purpose This research aims to examine women’s entrepreneurial empowerment in Egypt, addressing a critical gap in the literature by exploring the empowerment journey and identifying how the entrepreneurial ecosystem can be made more inclusive and equitable to support economic development. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a qualitative phenomenological design, integrating a critical literature review, in-depth interviews with 72 participants (46 women entrepreneurs and 26 ecosystem experts) and analysis of national and international ecosystem reports. Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Thematic Analysis to ensure analytical rigor and trustworthiness. Findings This study introduces the WEMPOWERMENT Model, conceptualizing empowerment as a three-stage journey. The first stage outlines key preconditions at the personal, social and ecosystem levels. The second stage captures empowerment processes through material, cognitive, relational and perceptual transformative changes, expressed as empowerment “within,” “over,” “to” and “with” on individual, organizational and community levels. The third stage defines empowerment outcomes through a multidimensional understanding of success that integrates qualitative and quantitative indicators. The findings are translated into targeted recommendations for building more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems in Egypt and comparable developing and emerging economies. Originality/value The WEMPOWERMENT Model offers a novel, empirically grounded and actionable framework that integrates previously fragmented theories into an ecosystem-embedded approach. By centering women’s lived experiences in a developing economy context, this study advances empowerment and entrepreneurial ecosystem scholarship, reframes entrepreneurial success and bridges theory and practice through stakeholder-specific recommendations.