Women Entrepreneurs in Developing Nations Face Unique Obstacles
Initiatives that provide free and remote access to entrepreneurial education and mentorship for women worldwide, such as wegg®, can be invaluable resources where there are none. There is a major disparity between the opportunities afforded to women in business in the United States and women in developing nations. Angela DeSouza writes of these challenges in a recent article for elitebusiness. One such barrier she describes is the legal roadblocks still in place that oppose women’s autonomy in society. DeSouza explains,
“Discriminatory laws and regulations can…pose significant hurdles for women entrepreneurs in ‘Third World’ countries. In many ways, these provide some of their biggest barriers to business success. Legal frameworks that favor male-owned businesses clearly impede the entrepreneurial endeavors of women. These discriminatory laws restrict a woman’s ability to own property or access credit.”
Raising awareness of these difficulties and remaining mindful of the existing gap that unfairly affects our counterparts in other countries is imperative to closing said gap. The main solutions that DeSouza poses for the cultural constraints, minuscule education and mentorship resources, and regulatory roadblocks that aspiring women entrepreneurs in developing countries encounter include,
- Increasing exposure to the global marketplace and international economic landscape
- Empowerment by way of training and vocational certifications
- Fostering a supportive network and ecosystem of a like-minded entrepreneurial community
Starting on a path of entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, so going the distance with a group of others doing the same is advantageous for everyone involved. wegg is built on a foundation of this philosophy, and we are always working towards equitable access to entrepreneurial opportunities for all.
“If you give an education to a girl, that’s how you’re changing her life and that’s how you’re also changing the world.”
-Malala Yousafzai