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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the factors that influence female entrepreneurship in Spain, using institutional economics as the theoretical framework. The empirical research uses Spanish regional-level panel data (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and National Statistics Institute of Spain) covering the period 2003-2010. The main findings indicate that informal factors (recognition of entrepreneurial career and female networks) are more relevant for female entrepreneurship than formal factors (education, family context and differential of income level). The research contributes both theoretically (advancing knowledge with respect to environmental factors that affect female entrepreneurship), and practically (for the design of support policies and educational programmes to foster female entrepreneurial activity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]