You would think that one benefit of the 21st century is that men and women can compete on an even footing. The sad truth is that we are still a long way away from that goal becoming a reality. In their careers, women face many struggles to get the same recognition as their male peers. And similar challenges get posed for female entrepreneurs as well.
Many people assume that we live in a modern world that boasts a supposedly fairer society. So why is it that women face more challenges than women when it comes to setting up a business? This article looks at the most common glass ceiling issues female entrepreneurs face today:
Social expectations
It seems that male leaders have to live up to particular expectations or stereotypes to be the best! Some women feel they must live up to those same expectations if they are to get taken seriously.
The thing is, males and females should be leaders because of their personal achievements. They shouldn’t get to the top because of their attitude to business and work. It’s important for female entrepreneurs to face that challenge and be a great leader on merit. Confidence is key to any success in life. If that shines through, there is no need to “act” the part.
Capital investments
One of the shocking truths between the entrepreneurial gender divide comes to finance. In a nutshell, men find it easier than women to secure the money they need to start their businesses!
According to one study, just 3% of female CEOs managed to secure funding for their startups! Sure, there is the opportunity to start a business from one’s home. They could even rent a professional registered office address to be more enticing to investors. But, plenty of business ideas require a lot of commercial or industrial space to succeed.
If a startup business cannot launch without the elements needed to succeed, it can spell bad news.
Fear of talking about achievements
Another challenge female entrepreneurs face is discussing their personal business achievements with others. Some women tend to say “we” rather than “I” when talking about their companies. Women should talk about how their skills helped build their firms without fear of reproach.
Support
Regardless of gender, it’s important for all entrepreneurs to have a support network. In business, it’s good to have contacts to help bounce ideas from and to come up with growth strategies.
Although support is a challenge for some women, the good news is things are getting better. There are growing numbers of organizations catering to networking and support between female entrepreneurs
Stereotypical views of women’s roles
Perhaps the biggest challenge that women need to overcome in business is people’s views. Or, rather, the stereotypical ones of what a woman “should” be doing.
Thankfully, the age of sexist and old-fashioned views is dying out. While it can be tricky to balance family and work life sometimes, it’s not an impossible task. That applies in particular when there is an array of childcare options available to them. Even those without extended families can still arrange childcare to suit their work patterns.
So, can all the above challenges become a thing of the past? Yes, but it’s likely to take some time before that happens.
