If you’re a woman thinking of starting a business, you’re among a strong sisterhood of entrepreneurs.
According to a recent QuickBooks survey, 1 in 10 women in the U.S. workforce, equivalent to roughly 7.2 million people, want to start down the path to business ownership this year.
The number one reason? To be their own boss. Number two, to have more control over their future. 36% of respondents said that the COVID-19 pandemic caused them to rethink their priorities, with 22% reporting that losing a job or income during the pandemic accelerated their goal of small business ownership. The drive is there, and women are making moves.
But there’s a flip side to every coin. In a study of professional women in the U.S. by Pew Research, 42% of respondents said they have faced gender discrimination in their professional lives. Discrimination presents itself in many ways, and gender-based bias is prevalent across industries.
International Women’s Day in 2022 directly encouraged communities to call out negative stereotypes based solely upon gender and asks all to #BreakTheBias. In 2023, the theme was to #EmbraceEquity so everyone can set up themselves to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, and seek out inclusion for everyone.
In 2024, the theme was #InspireInclusion, so everyone can understand and value women's inclusion and forge a better world. And in 2025, the theme will be #AccelerateAction, so everyone can acknowledge the strategies, resources and activity that positively impact women's advancement, and to support and elevate their implementation