Women entrepreneurs continue to play an important role in driving economic growth and advancing social development in their countries and communities. They bring novel insights, ideas and innovations to the markets they pursue. While much of the gender disparity in startup rates is explained by different industry patterns and startup goals, globally, women remain active in all industries. Just like men, women entrepreneurs and business owners are a heterogeneous group, active in all sectors, product and service markets.
However, women are also over-represented among the smallest businesses in highly competitive, low-margin markets and industries. Women also face inequality in the home, carrying a heavier burden of family responsibilities, which contributes to increased economic dependence and decreased interpersonal power and privilege. These factors combine to perpetuate harmful stereotypes that hold back even the most privileged women entrepreneurs in terms of legitimacy, access to financial capital and other critical resources necessary for business growth and success.
This 2022/2023 GEM Women’s Entrepreneurship Report presents a trend analysis of women’s entrepreneurship across 49 countries, 5 global regions and 3 national income levels. We focus on key GEM indicators by country, region and level of national income, including gender differences in participation rates (ratios of women to men, expressed as W/M) at various points in the entrepreneurial life cycle, from intentions thru startup activity, new business, established business and business exit. New this year, we also take a closer look at key topics that help us better understand gender-based patterns, including the importance of segmentation digitalization and sustainability… more
