Gender Equality in Entrepreneurship: What You Need to Know Now!

“This is a man’s world.” We have all heard this phrase more than one time. No matter who said it, it probably made a lot of questions that arise in women’s heads. Is it so? Is it a world only for men? At first, it may seem to. There are a lot of sectors that are dominated by males and where females are looked at strangely. In this article, we are going to be focusing on gender equality in entrepreneurship.

This is a guest post by Tiffany Harper. Take it away, Tiffany!

Misconceptions of Women

There is a common misconception in our society. Many people think that women have only a mission: to make children, to take care of them and the family. People expect women that become mothers to dedicate their life entirely to cooking, cleaning the house, and raising kids. But all these people are wrong.

Many people think that women have only a mission: to make children, to take care of them and the family.

We, as women, have a lot of latent power hidden inside us. Even though it can turn to be a real challenge, more and more women are willing and ready to face it. More and more women set up their businesses and become entrepreneurs. No matter if it is an online business or one that aims to inspire people, women began to enter the domain of entrepreneurship.

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More and more women take their lives in their own hands and become entrepreneurs.

Moms working from home mean that things have changed. More and more women take their lives in their own hands and become entrepreneurs. Each of them has her dream and goals. Each of them knows that the road to success is full of mistakes and failures, yet they are determined to face all the adversities.

The Gender Gap

But what can you do when you become part of a “man’s world”? Until not long ago, men were the ones that dominated the entrepreneurship domain. Until not long ago, you were more likely to see a male CEO than a female one. It was a domain, like many others, where females were looked at strangely and were not trusted.

But luckily, this gap began to be smaller and smaller over the last years. But are women seen as competent humans that can do whatever they aim for? Or are they still seen as intruders?

About Gender Equality

Gender equality is a hot topic nowadays. More and more people point to the hardships women still need to overcome and to the stereotypes they have to debunk in the world of entrepreneurs. More and more movements aim to close this gap between men and women. Famous ones such as #MeToo drew attention to the cruel reality we are still living today. Women are still deprived of equal opportunities and respect.

Women are still deprived of equal opportunities and respect.

Gender equality is about seeing men and women as equals. In a country where genders are seen as equal, women and men have access to the same resources and opportunities. Women and men are not seen as different, but the same. Both can write the best essays or be the best scientists. They receive the same amount of support from governments, organizations, and society, and they are not deprived of respect because of their gender.

Everyone is Free to Make Their Own Choices

In a society where there is gender equality, neither men nor women are seen as too competitive or are criticized for their choices. Just as everyone is free to make his own choices and make decisions, so are men and women seen. Free to decide for themselves and be active and work in whatever domain they like.

Even though the gap between genders began to narrow, we still have a long way to go.

We have lately seen a shift: men began to enter domains considered “women’s worlds,” such as hair styling or make-up. At the same time, more and more women are active in areas considered only for men, such as engineering or computer science.

Even though the gap between genders began to narrow, we still have a long way to go. But also though we are far from the ideal state, we must accept that step by step, there is the progress made.

Gender Equality in Entrepreneurship

But what about gender equality in entrepreneurship? This domain is known to be one that is the main drive in any country’s economy. Entrepreneurs are critical in every country, and they should have equal opportunities to make their contribution, regardless of their gender.

Society should not say what can or cannot women do. To be an entrepreneur means that you organize and coordinate the activity of an organization, and both men and women have leadership and organizational skills. Of course, it depends on their education and life experience, but they can do this job.

So, where do female entrepreneurs stand today?

There Are More Female Entrepreneurs Than Ever

Like we stated earlier, this invisible barrier all women felt when they started their own business begins to shred. Society’s mindset begins to change. The gender equality gap begins to narrow. When researchers looked at two different periods, they discovered that more and more women enter the world of entrepreneurship. There are 45% more female entrepreneurs, compared with 27% more men, if we look at two decades: the 2000s and 2010s.

Women are receiving the respect, confidence, and trust they deserve, and we are now seeing a rise of women active in domains considered only for men. In 2018, there were 12.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S., compared with 1972, where there were just over 400.000.

There Are Still More Men than Women Entrepreneurs

Unfortunately, even though we have seen a rise of women that became entrepreneurs, it is still a domain dominated by men. Women represent only 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs, and the record was 6% in 2017. There are still a few women that are top executives, being a challenge to gain trust and confidence from others around you.

The Rise of Women of Color

Some women are judged not only by their gender but by their race too. There are stereotypes in every society, and most people accept and try to live with them. They are based on the country’s history, culture, values, and interests. People of color are among the most discriminated against.

Black women businesses created jobs for about 2.2 million people and generated over $350 in revenues.

Even though there are differences between races and genders, we cannot say that they determine your value. No matter if you are Asian, Afro-American, male, female, or transgender, you should be treated with equality. The good thing that happened in the last years is the rise of women of color who entered the world of entrepreneurship.

In 2018, 47% of all women-held businesses were held by black women. Black women businesses created jobs for about 2.2 million people and generated over $350 in revenues.

Black women began to break stereotypes and found the courage that lies deep within them to start their own business. Between 2007 and 2018, there were over 150% more businesses held by women of color. Gender inequality may come to an end in the future because more and more women are active in domains once considered only for men.

Women Are Active in Specific Industries

The domain of entrepreneurship is vast, and there are a lot of fields where women can be active. The truth is, they have some advantages many men do not have. Studies have shown that women are more empathetic than men. Being empathetic helps them understand the emotions of people they interact with and to respond with care.

They can send emotions to their audiences, and this makes them seem more open than men. Of course, this doesn’t mean that men are incapable of feeling any emotion. Nor does it mean that women are emotional and incapable of any cognitive tasks.

These studies just show that when we look at men and women, women tend to be more nurturing and empathetic and men more cognitive and rational.

Balancing Emotions and Cognition

However, most entrepreneurs manage to maintain a balance between emotions and cognition, and this one of the things that make them successful. Because women are seen as more empathetic, they tend to be more active in domains where men are not as well represented.

For example, women are more likely to become entrepreneurs in fields such as:

education
healthcare
social assistance
professional services.

At the same time, men are more likely to establish their own business in domains such as manufacturing or construction.

Women-owned Businesses

Women entrepreneurs have created millions of jobs for people in industries such as waste management, food services, accommodation, and administration.

What can you do to increase your success as a woman in entrepreneurship? Is there something you should do? Well, yes and no. Here are a few tips that might help you start your own business and help you face all the challenges ahead.

Do Not Be Misled by Society

It is clear that gender inequality still exists in our societies. This is because people have a hard time letting go of old values and traditions and are not open to the changes that are ahead. The truth is more and more women will have the courage to become entrepreneurs, and society will be forced to change.

Society might try to tell you what to do, what you are good at, and even what you want.

However, until then, women still have to debunk myths about the “weaker gender” and break stereotypes. Society might try to tell you what to do, what you are good at, and even what you want. Society thinks it knows what goes inside your head and soul.

But no, do let yourself be misled by the way society views women. If you have a dream about creating a new service for people, pursue it. Do not feel discouraged that men dominate the industry you are about to enter. The balance begins to tilt in favor of women slowly.

Trust Yourself

There will be people that will say that you cannot do that. There will be people that will assume that you should rethink your business and find another domain more suitable for a woman. There will be people that will try to stop you from pursuing your dreams.

Trust yourself. Believe that you can do what you want. Believe that you can pursue your dreams and acquire your goals. Believe that no matter how many challenges and hardships are ahead, you are able, and you will overcome them.

Trust that you have the skills you need. And more importantly, do not see your mistakes and failures as signs that you shouldn’t start your business in the first place. Even though few people talk about them, everyone makes mistakes, especially when they begin.

Be Prepared to Make Mistakes

Failures and mistakes are opportunities to learn and become better. No one is perfect, and no one made no mistakes. Even though you might encounter people that will discriminate and judge you based on your gender, use their opinions to build a stronger you.

On the other side, there will be people that will trust that you can do what you want. They will support and give you the respect you deserve. Keep them close and continue to work to pursue your goals.

More Gender Equality in Entrepreneurship Insights?

In recent years we have seen a tremendous increase in numbers of women-owned businesses. Even though women are still looked at strangely, the gender equality gap is narrower and narrower. More and more women have started their own business and entered the world of entrepreneurship.

Even though the economy and society are still not so friendly with female entrepreneurs, you must trust yourself that you can overcome these challenges. Do not be afraid to fail, and do not let failure discourage you.

If you have more insights on gender equality in entrepreneurship, please let us know in the comments!

About the Author:

Tiffany Harper is a writer and the subject matter expert at Write My Thesis Assignment Help . She helps essay writing service UK and best paper writing service with the history of societies. Tiffany loves reading about psychology, s0toicism, nature, and history. She wants to start its own NGO and help women all over the world pursue their dreams.