Women Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship and Resilience - Patricia Golden Webb
“Biologically, females have more potential. Females have more sensitivity about others’ wellbeing.” Although we have come a long way in terms of gender equality, the inequality gap is still large and progress is slow. We live in a male-dominated world which makes it more difficult for women to rise to success at the same rate and pay as men. I recently read an article published by Forbes titled Women Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship and Resilience by Yanie Durochher which highlights how women can empower each other to be successful in the workplace.
China is home to two-thirds of the world’s female billionaires which serves as a reassuring model for future gender equality. However, women are still in the minority and experience worse conditions in the workplace. “Women around the world have been starting businesses 1.5 times faster than men over the last decade, yet women on average make 20% less than men and 95% of women will never make over $100K per year. Out of all the tech businesses that are opening, only 5% have been started by women. It has also been reported that women’s businesses are failing faster than men’s.”
Women are more than capable of being successful in the business world, but why does it seem harder for women than men? As humans, our instinct is to survive and to adapt to the environment we live in. As we live in a male-dominated world, we were taught by men — through textbooks, family upbringings, work experiences, etc — on how to do business. Traditional business techniques have taught us to focus more on closing a deal than building a relationship; putting profits over people; efficiency before compassion; and building a mindset focused on “bigger, better, faster, stronger.” This male-dominated atmosphere does not always create an encouraging, inclusive, or equal opportunity for women in a business role.
Both men and women can shift our values to create a more creative, inclusive, and transparent work environment. Instead of following the traditional business mentality, we can transform our thought process to focus on empowerment rather than “power over”; generosity rather than urgency; and collaboration rather than competition. The key for successful female CEOs is to remain true to themselves and to find their own voice. There is infinite power in resilience, consistency, and perseverance. Women must learn how to remain loyal to themselves, pick themselves up after failures, and get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable if they want to survive and thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.
“Whether you are a female entrepreneur or you aim to become one, don’t be afraid of renewing yourself and your business year after year. Plane your vision, set your perspective, and be consistent. It may get scary and uncertain, but there’s always a way to turn things around for the better if you’re not afraid to refresh your environment and have enough courage to always be true to yourself.”
You can read the original article here.
