Social entrepreneurship and female leadership in the digitalization era: issues, challenges, and prospects in the Tangier–Tetouan–Al Hoceima region

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship in the social and solidarity economy is facing new challenges and opportunities due to contemporary technical and social transformations, making it particularly important to study the impact of digitalization on this category. This study aims to analyze how digitization promotes social entrepreneurship and female leadership within cooperatives, and to understand the technical, social, and cultural factors that influence the effectiveness of this transformation. The research question revolves around the following issue: How can digital transformation support women entrepreneurs and strengthen their leadership within cooperatives, and what factors determine the extent to which they benefit? The study adopted a descriptive and analytical quantitative methodology, covering 38 women's cooperatives, using field questionnaires to collect data on women's use of digital tools, social support, and entrepreneurial skills. The results showed that 60.5% of cooperatives use digital tools on a permanent basis, 28.9% occasionally, while 10.5% have not yet adopted digitalization. The study also showed that digitization has improved administrative and financial management and increased the independence and innovation of women's leadership, despite the persistence of certain challenges related to digital infrastructure, lack of training, and cultural constraints. The results indicate that promoting female entrepreneurship requires a comprehensive approach combining continuous training, infrastructure development, and the adoption of innovative digital strategies in order to make digitization an effective tool for empowering women and promoting equality in the social and solidarity economy.