In recent times, we have been witnessing repeated economic and social crises, aggravated by the global pandemic caused by Covid-19. People have seen many rights that affect the development of work and a dignified life diminished. Governments and institutions propose policies and resources to promote economic development and employability, especially aimed at vulnerable groups, such as women. Entrepreneurship is a strategy for the development of the productive sector, sometimes considered as an alternative to the scarce employment options. This article investigates in the European context the perceptions and experiences of women about entrepreneurship, policies and resources, and the barriers and conditioning factors felt. A qualitative approach is adopted, using interviews with 14 women in 2 regions. The results reveal that policies and resources do not take into account the reality of women, are not sufficient, are uncoordinated and do not guarantee the sustainability of local development; at the same time, several conditioning factors are highlighted. In conclusion, there is a general need to: a) improve the impact that these policies have on the environment and, b) increase gender awareness in relation to entrepreneurship. Finally, best practices for professional entrepreneurial intervention in terms of gender and sustainability are proposed.
Keywords: Entrepreneurship; policies; resources; women; training; professional orientation; sustainability; qualitative research