Kirti Kabra brings a unique blend of technical and corporate expertise to the brands. An exceptional strategist and visionary, she has brought consistent results and has led the group of brands to enshrine successful footprints in the global markets.
Women entrepreneurs are rapidly becoming key contributors to the global economy. Standing toe to toe with their male counterparts, they add tremendous value as job creators and innovators – bringing prosperity to their families, communities, and society at large. In India, between 13.5 to 17.5 million businesses are owned by women, hiring between 22 to 27 million individuals.
Entrepreneurship has proved to be a powerful lever for women's empowerment in the country, enabling countless women to achieve financial security for themselves and their families. Shattering biases for women in the workplace, they create a conducive space for their fellow women professionals and leaders to realize their potential. The empathetic and collaborative leadership style of female entrepreneurs paves the way for more diverse teams, fueling greater innovation across a range of sectors, including E-Commerce, Education, Fashion, Healthcare, and Technology. The results speak for themselves, with a survey by Bain & Company revealing that women-led startups deliver 35% higher ROI as compared to those led by men. Indeed, the phenomenal success of female entrepreneurs reinforces the notion that educating women empowers the entire nation.
Understanding Entrepreneurial Feminism
The concept of entrepreneurial feminism endeavors to empower women in society and promote feminist values through the entrepreneurial process. It aims to combat the traditional notion of business as being a ‘masculine’ domain and explore how entrepreneurship can uplift women and their families. Moreover, Barbara Orser, the Professor of Management who helped coin the term ‘Entrepreneurial feminism’, describes female entrepreneurs as ‘change agents’ who help improve the well-being and quality of life of innumerable women through the delivery of innovative products and services.
The intersection of feminism and entrepreneurship lies in one word – choice. Venturing into the world of business significantly enhances the agency of women professionals. It empowers them to work on their terms, outside the context of a rigid corporate hierarchy. They can choose to make an impact in line with their values, rather than those imposed by an organization. There is no glass ceiling on their incomes, theoretically enabling them to earn exponentially more than they would as salaried employees. The increased flexibility also leads to considerably elevated work-life balance.
Inspiring and Supporting Women through Entrepreneurship
Of course, entrepreneurship is not an easy path for any professional, and women entrepreneurs in particular face several unique challenges – from confronting gender-based biases and stereotypes to navigating limited access to mentors, networks, and funding opportunities. This is where the spirit of entrepreneurial feminism truly comes to the fore and adds tremendous value.
Female entrepreneurs lead by example, inspiring countless other women to follow in their footsteps in the entrepreneurial domain. They serve as role models, striking a blow for gender equality by demonstrating that it is indeed possible for women to not only survive but thrive, in business. Furthermore, the ever-increasing number of successful female entrepreneurs creates a more supportive environment for women entering the business domain, enabling the latter to reap the benefits of female-centric business networks, female venture capitalists angel investors, and experienced female mentors.
By providing employment opportunities to fellow women professionals, female entrepreneurs place innumerable women on the path to financial security. With their insight into the needs and wants of female consumers, they can create exceptional products that truly enrich the lives of women and girls.
Perhaps the most valuable asset that successful women entrepreneurs develop over time is their reputation and influence. By championing fellow female entrepreneurs and lending their voice to the discourse surrounding burning issues such as the gender pay gap or sexual harassment, they enable businesses to become a powerful lever for socio-economic change.
Towards a More Equal Future
Entrepreneurship certainly isn’t a panacea for all ills when it comes to addressing the challenges that women continue to face in a largely male-dominated society. However, it remains a highly efficacious tool for women's empowerment. Women entrepreneurs exemplify the spirit of feminism by providing moral and practical support to fellow female entrepreneurs and professionals, raising their voices for women’s issues, and creating immense value for their female employees and consumers. Through their actions and their successes, they demonstrate that business can indeed be a path to greater prosperity, influence, and self-respect for women.
