BEYOND THE URBAN: EVOLUTION, INTELLECTUAL FOUNDATIONS AND GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF RURAL FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This article presents a bibliometric analysis of rural female entrepreneurship (RFE), based on 1,014 documents indexed in Scopus and Web of Science between 1979 and 2025. Using performance indicators and science mapping techniques (Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer), the study examines the evolution, intellectual roots, and thematic structure of the field. Findings reveal exponential growth since 2010, with India, the United States, China, and the United Kingdom as leading contributors, and African institutions—particularly in Nigeria and South Africa—emerging as influential hubs. Key journals include Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, Journal of Enterprising Communities, and Journal of Rural Studies. Thematic mapping identifies entrepreneurship and gender as motor themes, microfinance as a niche domain, and empowerment as a foundational yet underdeveloped concept. From a theoretical standpoint, the study highlights the need to move beyond descriptive approaches toward frameworks that systematically integrate gender, rurality, sustainability, and digitalization. For practice, the results stress the importance of fostering regional engagement—especially in Latin America and the Caribbean—and promoting multilingual dissemination to ensure that locally grounded evidence informs inclusive policy design and entrepreneurial support strategies. By addressing these gaps, the field can strengthen its conceptual foundations while enhancing its contribution to equitable and sustainable rural development.