Shirin Behzadi – Dare to Try: The Transformative Power of Entrepreneurship

A keynote speech from the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women’s Women Entrepreneurs Mean Business summit, exploring and challenging the gender stereotypes holding women entrepreneurs back from success and equality. Because we won’t wait 250+ years for women to have economic equality.

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

 

Women Entrepreneurs Mean Business (9 to 19 November 2021) sought to galvanise urgent action to tackle gender stereotypes, with an incredible line-up of celebrated women entrepreneurs, high profile thought leaders on women’s economic empowerment, policymakers, academics, activists. Together, the Foundation, speakers and attendees are united by a common refusal to wait the 250+ years it is currently predicted to take for women to have economic equality with men.

Day one—”We won’t wait for equality: ending the stereotypes blocking women entrepreneurs”—featured a power talk from renowned entrepreneur Shirin Behzadi. This inspirational session for women entrepreneurs looked at resilience and growth in the face of prejudice, and the power entrepreneurship holds for women.

Together, these sessions and the Foundation’s research report on the impact of gender stereotypes on women entrepreneurs set out the clear case for eradicating the gender gap in entrepreneurship and supporting women entrepreneurs, as well as identifying strong calls to action for different stakeholders at every level.