This November 18th marks Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, an annual celebration founded by the United Nations. But when you read the words “women’s entrepreneurship,” what do you picture? The CEO of a tech startup, standing in a boardroom in Silicon Valley? A Millennial launching a digital ad agency from the comfort of her living room? How about a woman living in a homeless shelter in New Jersey? Or a woman recently released from jail?
Admit it: these last two women aren’t what you were picturing. That’s because our ideas about women entrepreneurs have been molded by glimmering models of success, from Oprah Winfrey to Sara Blakely, the billionaire founder of Spanx. These savvy businesswomen are no doubt worthy of our time and attention, and have beat tremendous odds to get to where they are today. But what about examples of women’s entrepreneurship that exist on a smaller scale? As Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus says: “All human beings are born entrepreneurs. Some get a chance to unleash that capacity. Some never got the chance, never knew that he or she has that capacity.”
Today, 45 million Americans live below the poverty line – a number that disproportionately affects women. Women are 35% more likely to live in poverty than men, and despite having better educational credentials than ever, they remain overrepresented in low-wage jobs.
But make no mistake: poverty and entrepreneurship are not mutually exclusive. Not by a long shot.
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Here are some actions you can take to help enfranchise women, and support their desire to become entrepreneurs.
1 Lend your time or resources to micro-financing institutions like Grameen America, where micro-loans have a direct and measurable impact on women living in poverty.
2 Mentor a female coworker, or join a network that will connect you with a woman who could benefit from your mentorship.
3 Support women-owned businesses and start-ups. Use your purchasing power to buy products from companies run by women, or companies that benefit women’s professional development.
4 Start an internship program at your company that offers opportunities to women from underprivileged backgrounds.
SOURCE: Forbes
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