Calling all women entrepreneurs: 2024 experiences survey

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, in partnership with Intuit and the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law project, is running the 2024 edition of its flagship survey of experiences of women running businesses in low and middle income countries. We will use the findings to press for positive change that creates a better world for women entrepreneurs.

The survey should take 15 minutes. You can complete it in English, Arabic, French or Spanish. It is completely anonymous. At the end, you will have the option to enter our draw to win one of several $50 USD prizes.

Deadline: end of day, Monday 16 December 2024

What the survey is about

We want to hear about the challenges you face, your motivations as an entrepreneur and what changes you feel need to happen so that your business and those of other women can achieve success.

This year, we particularly want to hear about how you use (or don’t use) the internet and digital technology, and what skills and training would support you to better run your business.

By taking part in this survey you will:

• Help our efforts to shape global policy.
• Inform what support is needed from the private sector, governments and NGOs.
• Have your voice heard across the world.
• Help us make supporting women entrepreneurs a priority.
• Contribute to long-term, positive change for women entrepreneurs.

You can be running a business of any size and in any industry, in any low or middle income country. It doesn’t matter if you are a new entrepreneur or if you have been in business for years.

How we will use your responses

The results of this survey will be included in a major report in 2025 that will be shared with international policymakers including the UN, national governments, the media, financial institutions and corporations working with women entrepreneurs.

The report will have clear recommendations to help change things to work better for women entrepreneurs, and will also be used to inform the Foundation’s services for women. As such, your participation will be extremely valuable.

The Foundation has conducted this report four times before and used it to inform a wide range of advocacy and policy work. Past surveys have uncovered and raised awareness of important findings such as:

• In 2023, 44.4% of women told us they had already adopted AI tools for their businesses.
• Also in 2023, nearly half (45.4%) reported that experiences of online gender-based violence has impacted their business, with 9.3% stating these impacts had been significant or drastic.
• In 2022, nine out of 10 told us the cost of living crisis and high inflation had negatively impacted their businesses.
• Also in 2022, half (49%) told us that their unpaid care workload had increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 19% reporting that it had undermined their business.
• Also in 2022, 44% felt they did not have equal access to formal investment opportunities.
• In 2020, 83% told us the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted their businesses. Over a third (34.4%) of those whose businesses were at risk of closing said they would struggle to afford basic necessities, like food.

We thank you very much for your time, and encourage you to share the survey with other women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries.