Women's entrepreneurship is considered a recent phenomenon. In the past, women were a minority in entrepreneurship, although they were numerically stronger. Today the situation is slightly better, but it is still not at the level it should be. Improvements are evident through the increase in the number of women opting for entrepreneurial ventures, the growth of incentive measures for women entrepreneurs, and the growing awareness of the importance of women's entrepreneurship. On the other hand, problems such as rigid bureaucracy, numerous laws that change too often, and maladaptation of market conditions and needs are certainly facts that complicate the process of further development of women's entrepreneurship. Starting from the very definition of women's entrepreneurship, the document also presents the main differences between women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs and the differences between women's and men's leadership types are evident. Also, various researches on the success and sustainability of women-led businesses are presented. Special focus is on the retail sector. The representation of women in the trade sector and the proportion of women entrepreneurs starting small businesses are shown. The development is shown in the research results for Croatia and the European Union. The development of women's entrepreneurship, an analysis of the current situation, and an assessment of possible further development and currently untapped potential are presented.