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                a lack of knowledge              they are adequately involved   training or mentoring, having
                regarding business               in policy decisions and to    the support of women who have
                start-up opportunities,          encourage the implementation   already experienced the fear and
                discriminatory gender norms      of gender-sensitive           excitement this brings can be key to
                and social perceptions of        national policies, women’s    getting over the first few hurdles.
                entrepreneurship are major       representation in business
                barriers to women starting a     associations and organisations   CONCLUSION
                business. In many contexts,      needs to be strengthened.
                women would like to work in                                    With global and regional politics
                                                                               and business being predominantly
                paid jobs or run businesses,   These four main conclusions by
                but they are constrained by   the ILO show just how far some   male-led, attitudes towards women
                                                                               in most parts of the world is far
                cultural norms and traditional   countries will have to change
                                                                               from perfect. During International
                roles. Carrying the bulk of   to encourage more female
                the (unpaid) household and    entrepreneurship - both culturally   Women’s Month, the best thing
                                                                               you - if you are a male reader - can
                care-giving responsibilities   and politically.
                within their families, women                                   do is look at how the women in
                                                                               your organisation are treated.
                have little time to participate in   Lobbying for changes to be made
                                                                               If you are in business, are your
                the labour market. In addition,   are much more effective if backed
                the traditional role of the   up by a wide range of interested   female employees paid the same
                                                                               as your male employees? Are they
                husband as the household      parties, and not just a single voice.
                head, administrator of money   Networks are a superpower in a   considered for promotion as often
                                                                               as their male counterparts? Do
                and assets, and protector, as   world where females are in the
                                                                               you provide them with the same
                well as perceived and actual   minority, so being part of a group of
                threats of sexual harassment,   like-minded women should be a real   opportunities - such as invitations
                                                                               to networking events? If you are
                limit women’s access to public   benefit. Women need to be kinder
                services. Such stereotypes    to other women, especially if the   in politics, when you look at your
                                                                               peers, are women politicians ‘few
                dictating what is perceived to be   local economy is weak. Support and
                                                                               and far between’ or simply a token
                appropriate for women are not   understanding within the business
                                                                               gesture?
                only prevalent within families   community has to become a key
                and communities but also in the   part of doing business with other   Women have been calling for a
                educational system and mass   women. Sadly this is not always the
                                                                               level playing field for generations.
                media.                        case.
                                                                               Change is not only down to women,
                                                                               but it is in the hands of men who
            •   Enhanced access to markets,   Women often need to fight harder
                                                                               believe that all humans are equal
                networks and technologies     and longer to achieve things that are   whatever their gender to take it
                should be provided for        offered to men. Obtaining a bank
                                                                               upon themselves to do more for
                different types of women      account or renting office space are
                                                                               women. You have mothers, sisters,
                entrepreneurs. Mentoring,     easy examples. In our region these
                                                                               daughters, aunts. Let 2020 be the
                coaching and peer-to-peer     can be massive hurdles that can
                                                                               year you make a change.
                support are all approaches that   kill an innovative idea before it has
                are proven to enhance chances   time to grow. Crowdfunding and
                of business survival and help to   attracting venture capitalists (VC)
                build networks. Among small-  is sometimes the only way to fund
                                                                               1.   Prospect magazine May 2019: “How
                scale producers, for instance,   a new idea. Arabian Business, a   Jacinda Ardern is transforming New
                women’s cooperatives can      magazine, reported in October 2019   Zealand”
                enable entrepreneurs to realise   a UAE report found that start-ups   2.   https://www.cmi.no/publications/6534-
                                                                                  increasing-number-of-muslim-women-in-
                economies of scale, invest    with female founders raised 21%
                                                                                  politics
                in technology and penetrate   more in VC funding than companies
                                                                               3.   The Rose Report, commissioned by the
                new markets, while urban      with all-male teams.                UK Government. https://www.gov.uk/
                incubation centres can provide                                    government/publications/the-alison-rose-
                                                                                  review-of-female-entrepreneurship
                a good foundation for creating   Having the chance to meet with
                networks and synergies among   other females open to the idea of   4.    Marom, D., Robb, A., & Sade, O. (2016).
                                                                                  Gender dynamics in crowdfunding
                high-tech start-ups.          giving each other the support and   (Kickstarter): Evidence on entrepreneurs,
                                              encouragement every start-up        investors, deals and taste-based
            •   By supporting women’s         craves, is massively important.     discrimination. Paper published on SSRN.
                                                                                  http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2442954
                voices in policy dialogue,    Especially when self-employed,
                                                                               5.   ILO: Constraints and good practice in
                this will strengthen the      or entering the world of work for   women’s entrepreneurship in MENA
                mainstreaming of gender       the first time in a while, these      Case study: New evidence on gender
                issues into policies and      groups can give the boost a female   attitudes towards women in business
                programmes. To ensure that    entrepreneur needs. By providing
                                                                                      th
             www.MiddleEast-Business.com                                             7  year, Issue 26, Mar - May 2020
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