•We use gender-innovation data for 472 multinational corporations operating in 21 emerging economies.•We use multi-stage theoretical framework–institutional factors, Hofstede national cultural dimensions & firm level factors.•Our study is the first to empirically examine the effect of gender diversity on innovation for emerging economies.•National culture & country-level institutional quality has mediating influence on boardroom gender diversity & innovation. This paper contributes to burgeoning research concerning the relationship between boardroom gender diversity and corporate innovation. The paper deploys a multi-theoretical framework comprising insights from the upper echelons, resource-dependency, and institutional theories, and the Hofstede's cultural dimensions framework. We test a panel dataset for 472 multinationals in 21 emerging economies, covering nine years (2009–2018). Our findings reveal that gender diversity is positively associated with corporate innovation. We also find that local factors such as national norms, cultural values, and country-level institutional quality influence boardroom gender diversity, level of investment in research and development (R&D), and corporate innovation. The paper concludes by providing policy and managerial recommendations on how to promote firm innovation within emerging markets contexts.