Women as entrepreneurs

Authors: Eli Dhapi and Aura Carmen Slate

Back in 2009, Lloyd  Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs (GS) stated that women offer the “highest return on investment”. in the past 15 years women’s ventures have increased by 50% with remarkable revenues jumping up to 58%. This achievement is impressive given that traditionally women didn’t have access to business capital and also were forced to operate in a world where men’s business were typically favored. Despite the challenges, women entrepreneurs made it and gained access to vital means of growing their business. Because of that, over the last century we see society’s increasing acceptance toward women entrepreneurs.

The main question that arises around that topic is whether there is a difference between women and men entrepreneurs. Some argue that there is a significant difference since men and women differ biologically and traditionally; women are not supposed to be successful entrepreneurs, but they supposed to stay home and take care of the children. We are living in a world where misconceptions are prevalent over the need of women to be creative and even the urgencies of the economic crisis. People adhere to anachronistic beliefs in a time when statistics show that women entrepreneurs have helped countries alleviate themselves from the burden of the crisis, by creating more economic growth, jobs and social development. Nowadays, there are more mothers who have achieved a balance between personal and working life. However, rigid European policies do not allow women to enjoy the same opportunities as men when it comes to starting their own business.

Nowadays we live in an era where European citizens can voice their opinion and they have the power to change laws. ACT4Growh is a European Citizens’ Initiative which gives the opportunity to Europeans to propose four policies to the European Commission, in order to encourage female entrepreneurship and save Europe from the economic depression. This is the first time in history when European citizens are can realistically decide the fate of Europe. ACT4Growth needs one million signatures in order to achieve this goal; one million signatures can make a difference.

We all admire a Mom, a wife, a business woman and an entrepreneur! Let’s get together and let’s support a change in European laws, let’s support all the heroes female entrepreneurs who have made it through the crisis and creating more jobs, economic growth and sustainability.