4 AUGUST2022Editor NoteWomen Leaders are Vanquishing Challenges & Marching towards Success Does one's gender impact their leadership or entrepreneurial skills? It might seem like a rhetorical question on the surface, yet when looked at closely, we realise that the answer to this question cannot be binary. In order to understand the link between gender, ability and success we must engage in nuanced discussions and look at the plethora of variables at play. Its important to understand that while gender does not impact one's skill or ability, yet it does factor in when it comes to success. Going beyond the internal factors, it is often the social implications of one's gender that impact an individual'schances of becoming a successful business leader. It has long been established that our social, economic and political structures adversely impact women's chances of establishing and successfully running an enterprise. Very early in life her handicap begins; gender stereotypes pertaining to house work, child care, education and much more come into play. As one moves into the working world, we realise that corporate structures are also not best suited for women's success as leaders. The few women who do manage to build businesses of their won often find it much tougher to raise funds. According to a Kauffman Fellows in the United States survey, teams that are all-male founder raised more money in 2018 than female founding teams rose in the previous 19 years collectively. In India, the startup ecosystem has been booming since the past three years, yet women leaders & entrepreneurs have been a step behind their male counterparts in terms of leading lucrative startups. The same has been seen in the corporate world. The number of women in the workforce has been steadily increasing yet their representation in top management roles still remains abysmal. But irrespective of the various challenges faced by women leaders across the globe, they are rising up, gradually yet steadily. There is a cultural revolution underway as more and more women are not only building their businesses but are playing a key role in enhancing the economic growth of the country, employment generation, and industrialisation. Indian women now own approximately 20 percent of all micro, small and medium businesses as of 2021. According to a report by Statistica, women currently have the highest share of micro businesses within business sizes, with more enterprises in rural areas than urban India. The Landscape Study on Women Entrepreneurship by EdelGive Foundation concluded that the number of women owned businesses is expected to see a 90 percent growth in the next five years in India. As they say, the future is female!Read on and do let us know your thoughts. Rachita SharmaManaging Editor
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