The impact of the caste system on female entrepreneurship: an inquiry into Kerala experience

Many studies have adopted a post-structural feminist perspective to study female entrepreneurship (Ahl, 2006; Ahl and Marlow, 2012; Foss, 2010). This perspective builds on the influence of historical periods, cultural climate, aesthetic, theoretical or philosophical tendencies in gender inequality (Beasley, 1999). The constraints imposed by the cultural climate, that is, the caste system, is one issue affecting inequality in India. To overcome the caste-based discrimination, the Indian government implemented policies and programs. This research investigates the nuances of the relationship between the caste system and female entrepreneurship by examining whether the caste system disadvantages female entrepreneurs and whether government programs aid entrepreneurial activity.