Despite the progress that has been achieved as a society, there is still a pending task and it is related to gender, since it is no secret to anyone that there is a notable inequality of opportunities between women and men that permeates the different aspects of life. : from the personal, economic, work, etc.
Entrepreneurship is not immune to this situation, since in 2023, women still have a low participation in this area compared to men, as demonstrated by the X-ray of Entrepreneurship in Mexico 2023, where only 35% of the people surveyed who identify themselves as founders of a business, are female compared to 64.6% of males.
It was precisely to make visible the lack of female participation in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, as well as to empower more women to start their own business, which was established on November 19 as the International Day of Women Entrepreneurs.
What challenges must a female entrepreneur overcome?
Although today it is increasingly common to see women as owners and founders of a business, the reality is that there is still a long way to go in female entrepreneurship. Just look at the informality rates of female entrepreneurship, which in 2021 stood at 83% according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO).
Any woman can make the decision to start a business; unfortunately, this involves overcoming different barriers that arise due to a simple question of gender, such as:
Lack of specialized training
The range of courses is wide, especially with digitalization that has even made it more accessible, however, it is still necessary for it to be more inclusive, that is, for women who have gone through and overcome a similar situation, to share their experience and train to more entrepreneurs.
Gender roles
By necessity, obligation or will, the responsibility of being caregivers continues to fall on women. According to the National Survey for the Care System (ENASIC) 2022 of the INEGI, whose objective is to offer an overview of the demand for care in homes, three out of every four people who assume this role are women, and nine out of every 10 people who must leave the labor market to provide care are female.
And it is these types of extra tasks, not to mention that in most cases there is no remuneration in return, that make it even more complicated for a woman to be able to dedicate the time necessary to start a business.
Financial gap
According to an analysis carried out by the IMCO, the economic disparity based on gender is still present, because for every $100 pesos that men receive, women receive only $65; On the other hand, the latest National Financial Inclusion Survey (ENIF) 2021 from INEGI shows that only 61.9% of women own a financial product (vs. 74.3% of men).
It is these types of financial gaps that make it more difficult for a woman to obtain the necessary financing to carry out her business.
Not everything is lost
Fortunately, the situation continues to change and there are more and more companies that are determined to do their bit and contribute to ensuring that women have the same opportunity as everyone to run a business, from spaces to combine work life with motherhood, to offer advice or products designed for the needs of entrepreneurs.
We leave you some examples of these projects that seek to give women more opportunities to succeed in entrepreneurship:
Spaces to undertake
Caring for a child usually complicates the dynamics of a working or entrepreneurial woman because children demand attention and care, just as work requires time and concentration; and although daycares exist, there are mothers who do not have the confidence, resources or simply do not want to spend so much time away from them.
Thinking about this, places like Co-madre created spaces where mothers can work, while their children are in another room with specialized caregivers and where they can go whenever they like.
Training for female entrepreneurship
With the aim of promoting entrepreneurship among women, Junior Achievement México, together with ExxonMobil and Mobil, have created a program focused on female entrepreneurship, with which they seek to provide tools to women who want to start a business or improve the one they have, they do this through specialized training in their needs.
This program is carried out annually and until the last edition, more than 1,650 women from all over the country had benefited.
Credits for women
Both the public and private sectors have created support aimed at the female sector so that they can materialize their dream of a business. There are options such as the one made available by the Fund for the Social Development of Mexico City (FONDESO), whose amounts range from $100,000 to $500,000, as well as the one offered by Citibanamex in which, in addition to credit, they have advice and special assistance. Starting a business as a woman is not an easy task; However, more and more awareness is being generated about the importance of promoting female entrepreneurs and their projects. Take advantage of the available resources so that these plans become a reality and you can be one of the many female ventures that are succeeding.
Daniela Ramos Communicator and mother. With 10 years of experience, I have been able to tell stories related to business, personal finances, work culture, entrepreneurship and technology.