Abstract

PurposeThis study takes an entrepreneurship as emancipation perspective to study entrepreneurs defined as others on multiple categories: women entrepreneurs whose ventures are necessity-based, bootstrapped and located in economically impoverished areas (neighborhoods) in two Latin-American countries: Chile and Peru.Design/methodology/approachThe study takes an interpretivist research approach and analyses inductively interviews with women entrepreneurs.FindingsThe findings reveal how everyday practices in pursuit of emancipation - while conducted within the existing patriarchal social structure - push the boundaries and contribute to changes in the social system via a variety of outcomes such as intergenerational social mobility, personal fulfilment and strengthening the communities in which the women entrepreneurs operate. Furthermore, while the authors find that in the particular Latin-American context under study, entrepreneuring activities become an emancipatory possibility for the everyday women entrepreneurs, they also highlight a dark side of their emancipatory projects.Originality/valueThe study contributes to recent critical studies in entrepreneurship by demonstrating the diversity and importance of the mundane activities undertaken by necessity-based entrepreneurs, and the significant - yet underappreciated - reach of their ventures' impact on issues well beyond economic considerations.