CSW66 Side-Event: Gender Stereotypes & their Impact on Women’s Entrepreneurship & Economic Empowerment

Together with the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations, we held a side-event for the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Because we won’t wait 250+ years for women to have economic equality.

Gender stereotypes undermine women’s rights and reinforce barriers for women to reach their full potential in various areas of their lives – including in economic participation and entrepreneurship. In March 2022, we explored and challenged gender stereotypes during CSW.

Stereotypical ideas about women and men are deeply embedded in entrepreneurship. Though the number of women-owned business has increased, women entrepreneurs are held back by many gender-based barriers and discrimination. Our new report ‘Gender Stereotypes and their Impact on Women Entrepreneurs’, surveying 221 women entrepreneurs across 42 low and middle income countries, shows that gender stereotypes significantly shape women’s journeys to and through entrepreneurship by affecting their aspirations, sources of support, opportunities, access to resources, perceptions, and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem in multiple ways. 70% of respondents said that gender stereotypes have negatively affected their work as an entrepreneur.  This just isn’t right.

For the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women—with the review theme ‘Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work’—we convened a high-level side event with the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations. On Wednesday 16 March, we shared evidence about the prevalence and impact of gender stereotypes in women’s entrepreneurship, and provide concrete recommendations on what’s needed to tackle gender stereotypes. You can watch the recording below.

Speakers

  • Chair: Wendy Teleki, Head, We-Fi Secretariat
  • Ma. Aileen Abiva, President, Women’s Business Council Philippines
  • Ulrika Grandin, Deputy Director, Coordination Team Feminist Foreign Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden
  • Sarah Kitakule, Private Sector Development Specialist and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Trustee
  • Fadé Ogunro, Founder and CEO, Bookings Africa and Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Global Campaign Board Chair (Africa)
  • Rose Rwabuhihi, Chief Gender Monitor and Head of the Rwanda Gender Monitoring Office
  • Sofía Sprechmann Sineiro, Secretary General, CARE International