Women are taking control of their destinies as entrepreneurs

Globally, it would seem that women’s entrepreneurship is on the rise for two key reasons - firstly because women want to experience greater control over their careers and their destinies; and secondly, because gender equality efforts in the workplace to address issues like the salary gap and advancement to positions on corporate boards have stalled. That’s according to the study Route to the Top 2017, by the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, which reported that women had made little notable progress toward the top job in any country studied since the inception of the research in 2011. “Women’s advancement in workplaces has flatlined,” said Ellen Galinsky, the president and a founder of the Families and Work Institute, noting that the frustrations of the traditional workplace are palpable for women. She adds, “Women are actively searching for a path to what they want to achieve professionally and are looking to shape their own futures — and for these women, starting their own businesses is seen as a completely acceptable solution.”