Ending Stigma Around Female Entrepreneurship

“It would be nice to think that, by now, bias against female leaders would have fallen by the wayside, so many generations after the first widespread women’s movement. Statistics show otherwise. Fortune reported that a paltry 2.2 percent of venture capital went to female-led startups two years ago. That percentage didn’t change one iota in 2018. The reason? Women are still seen as a liability because they might want to procreate or have a happy family life.”

Serenity Gibbons, “How To Amplify The Voices Of Women Entrepreneurs”

Many women entrepreneurs are still met with bias and obstacles any time they try to make big business moves. In Serenity Gibbons’ recent Forbes article, she argues that a key element towards equality in entrepreneurship is for women in the field to support other women.

What are the ways in which we can all put an end to any negative stigma surrounding women in business? Gibbons maps out three important steps we can all take towards this goal, while highlighting three incredible ways women in business have already taken them.

Encourage diverse funding streams.

One example Gibbons provides of a woman in business using her platform to raise voices that might not often be heard, is Sydney Sykes, co-founder of BLCK VC.

“BLCK VC was launched to offer funding streams to underrepresented entrepreneurs. Co-founder Sydney Sykes developed the minority-led company to increase investment resources and provide a community for the slowly-growing cadre of black investors. Sykes wants to bring attention to the lack of black funders in both black and non-black communities. In addition, she hopes to inspire other female entrepreneurs to bridge gaps in advancement when they see them.”

Be a megaphone.

Women entrepreneurs shouting the successes of their peers is a powerful message to anyone who does not want to see women in business rise. Gibbons describes a particularly striking instance of this, through Kelly Hager.

“Kelly Hager, founder and CEO of Arras Sisters, plans to use her company as a platform to film and disseminate 104 unique documentaries featuring female entrepreneurs across the world. The women’s stories of achievement haven’t been heard because they’re working in their own silos, but these are stories worth sharing. The interviews will be compiled and sent to U.S. media contacts, with the aim of sparking TV and film opportunities for these entrepreneurs.”

Celebrate ambition.

From a young age, girls are usually labeled as “bossy,” when they demonstrate leadership skills. The ambition of women and girls should be seen as a thing of beauty, instead of as a problem. Gibbons describes how the Tory Burch foundation is working towards this goal,

“This year, the Tory Burch Foundation Embrace Ambition Series concentrated on helping women own their professional desires. Burch’s free live-streamed series included the opportunity for participants to hear from keynote speakers who address the need for — and their belief in — female parity and prosperity.”

Our goal at wegg® is to raise up women entrepreneurs all over the world. We encourage diverse funding streams, serve as a megaphone for women in business, and celebrate ambition. One relevant upcoming resource to empower and educate women entrepreneurs, is our wegginar® on 4/10 with Sarah Ribner, co-founder of PiperWai. Sarah will present on “Creating a Strong Natural Deodorant Brand with Worldwide Appeal.” To be apart of this inspiring and FREE discussion, register here.