The Importance of Female-led Businesses On Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

Every year on November 19, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is commemorated to recognize female entrepreneurs and to acknowledge the contributions they have made to the entrepreneurial community.

Despite the progress made by female entrepreneurs since the Industrial Revolution, social pressure, lack of education, and gender restrictions continue to limit their growth and progress.

Read on to find out more.

Why is Women’s Entrepreneurship Day important?

It is important to keep in mind the significance and value of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in the lives of all kinds of women. It is without a doubt the empowerment of women that is the focus of this annual event, particularly the need for equality.

The event aims to follow the progression of women empowerment and, ideally, serve as a springboard for the development of legislation.

A brief history of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

Even if the term “entrepreneur” was only ever used to refer to men for a certain period, women have long participated in business endeavours. Most of the companies operated by women during the 18th and 19th centuries came from inheritance, according to National Today.

One woman who rose to a leadership role through inheritance was Eliza Lucas Pinckney from South Carolina in the United States. When she was 16 years old, she assumed control of her family’s plantations, making history’s first female business owner in America, according to History of American Women.

Around this period, women started opening their own retail stores, pubs, alehouses, and brothels. These businesses were, however, seen as disgraceful due to traditional expectations of what a woman should and should not do.

According to History, In the early 20th century, Black women in the States rose to the top among businesswomen. They made names for themselves in the fields of dressmaking, Black hair care, and midwifery.

One of the most popular women of this time was Madam C. J. Walker (as in from the hit Netflix show Self Made), the first Black woman to reach the million dollar mark. In the United States, numerous businesses were established in the late 1980s and early 1990s to educate and fund female entrepreneurs. The Women’s Business Development Center and Count Me In are two of these. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of gender equality.

Why should we continue to support women-led businesses?

The event serves as a reminder of both how far we’ve come in the direction of gender equality and how far we still have to go. Women had to fight for the right to suffrage. Back then, there were little to no reproductive rights, and equal pay for work was unheard of.

We have made great progress. Women now lead countries. We used to have constraints on where we could work, but today women are in charge of corporations. We now have rights in countries like Australia that our grandmothers could only have imagined, yet we still don’t have full equality.

Here are some ways we can support female-owned businesses:

Examples of women-led businesses

According to Elegant Media, Kayla Itsines went from working as a personal trainer at an Adelaide gym to creating Sweat, one of the most popular workout apps worldwide. She is still in her 30s and has already made enormous strides in the corporate world at her age.

In Australia, Boost Juice Bars are more common than kangaroos. Twenty years after Janine Allis began selling juice from her house in the year 2000, she has succeeded in creating an empire of 550 Boost Juice outlets all over the world, according to Linkedin.

Another example is women-led health clinics such as The Back Clinic who provide women’s health and chiropractic services.

According to Dr. Alissar Ayouby (Chiropractor), “I believe chiropractic and fitness go hand in hand. My main aim is to combine the two passions. To motivate and educate the community, especially women, to reach their health goals allowing us to reach our full potential in life.”

“I have been under chiropractic care since I was a young teenager. It has been a major part of my life, as I understand the importance it makes to my health and mind. Growing up I have always been involved in sports and fitness and knew I wanted to do something in the health and fitness profession.”

Last is Leslie Gillespie who worked as a simple baker. However, her bakery business has grown to 700 locations across Australia, Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. Along the way, it has generated a multimillion-dollar business called Bakers Delight, according to the website of Monash University.

Expand your network and make it inclusive
The benefits of an inclusive network are numerous. It can help you with your job search, networking, and even in your personal life. You’ll have a better understanding (and appreciation) of people from different walks of life. For example, you’ll know how to understand and accept (not tolerate!) someone who comes from a different background or culture.

Celebrate diversity
We should celebrate diversity because it’s one of the keys to innovation and creativity. Diversity is a fundamental part of our society, but also in our work environments. It can help us look at problems from new perspectives and find more creative solutions.

Conclusion

The celebration of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is a symbol of how far the world has come in terms of gender equality. It is a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions made by women to society. It also helps us to reflect on how far we still have to go in terms of achieving gender equality.

We should celebrate Women’s Entrepreneurship Day because it gives us an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing struggle for gender equality and recognise the many achievements that have been made by women around the world.

John Wilson

John Wilson is a branding and website design expert. He boasts over 10 years of digital marketing experience. He loves to share his expertise and insights on all things digital marketing by keeping this blog up to date.