Breaking Barriers : Insights into Women's Entrepreneurial Journey

Houston, TX

Across the globe, women are reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape. According to statistics, there has been a surge in the number of women venturing into entrepreneurship. Rates rising from “an average of 6.1% between 2001-2005 to 10.4% for the 2021-2023 period.” Meaning more women are willing to challenge the gender gap between women and men and take the risk that comes along with it. However, even with the high rates of women's entrepreneurship, countries with a high GDP show the lowest rate of this start-up activity due to a larger gender gap between men and women.  As this trend increases, the potential risk of business failure among women also increases. A report shows that “women were one-fifth less likely to report a business exit than men on average, with higher rates in low-income countries and the lowest rates in middle-income countries.” This indicates that women entrepreneurs in different economic conditions face varying pressures and support systems influencing their business.

Damilola Asaleye

The Changemakers 

 “Changes often start with bold individuals.”

Across the world, female founders are not only building businesses but also transforming communities. Take Damilola Asaleye, founder of  Ashdam Solar in Nigeria. Her company provides affordable clean energy in Nigeria. Through her work, Asaleye is paving the way for sustainable energy in Nigeria, empowering women's communities and helping with a critical problem in the country. Stories like hers tell the larger truth that when women are given space to grow and innovate, they help support and benefit the region they live in - socially, economically, and environmentally. 

The Road Ahead: Barriers That Remain 

Despite the progress, the road ahead remains steep. The global gender gap in entrepreneurship is very deep and intersects with multiple factors such as ethnicity, nationality, disability, class, caste, and sexuality. As well as overlapping with many issues affecting women solely. According to a survey conducted on 221 female entrepreneurs, “More than six in ten (61%) believe that gender stereotypes impact their business growth and almost half (49%) said they affect profitability.” This indicates the significant effect that gender stereotypes are having on women's lives, as well as the hindrance it cause in their success. Furthermore, this bias is so deep-rooted that corporate companies participate in it as well. For instance, Banks often require collateral that women often cannot access, leaving them at a disadvantage when seeking loans. Barriers such as this not only limit women’s ability to start businesses but also their ability to scale them.

 Moving Forward:

Women entrepreneurs are not only creating businesses - they are creating better futures. To keep this going, governments, groups, and communities need to give more support to women so they can grow and succeed.

Work Cited

“GEM Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.” GEM Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 19 November 2024, https://www.gemconsortium.org/reports/womens-entrepreneurship. Accessed 24 August 2025.

Ignatius, Adi. “Women Rising: The Unseen Barriers.” Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-rising-the-unseen-barriers. Accessed 24 August 2025.

Team, Comms. “Cherie Blair: Breaking Barriers, Building Businesses - Catalysing Women’s Entrepreneurship in the G20 - Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.” Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, 5 Sept. 2023, cherieblairfoundation.org/news-list/womens-entrepreneurship-in-the-g20/.