Women, entrepreneurship & empowerment through self-actualization

There is nothing more empowering that a business woman in a high position that would traditionally belong to a male. As time passes by, more and more women entrepreneurs start rising and the opportunities available for all women keep appearing at higher and higher rates.

Role of women in the society has been seeing a paradigm shift ever since women became self-aware. More and more women today are moving out of their comfort zone and trying their hands at things no one ever fathomed they were capable of. More and more women are stepping out of their homes into workplaces. More and more women are getting out there and starting their own entrepreneurial ventures.

However, the need to self-actualize takes grip once the woman decides to step out of her pre-decided role in a patriarchal system. It is this need to realize their highest potential that motivates many women to start up their own ventures. Again not the easiest road but definitely she has chosen for herself. Women can find a work-life balance in their own venture. They can attend to both their family (another need that helps them feel loved and gives them a sense of belonging) and work (something that gives them intellectual and psychological satisfaction) more methodically.

Many educated women today have made a significant mark as entrepreneurs in their chosen fields. However, what has not been recognized is that many uneducated women are also enthusiastically raising family incomes through micro ventures. These women also inspire other women in their localities to pursue their dreams through entrepreneurship at the grassroots level.

The need to contribute towards bettering their quality of life drives these women and without realizing it, they begin to self-actualize. What’s more amazing is that women unlike men tend to motivate other women around them to do better thus creating more options of employment and even start-ups leading to bettering not only their own financial status but helping the economy grow.

This being said there are barriers women in developing countries face- those of social inequality, less financial support for their ventures (eventhough there are schemes to help women start their small businesses), acceptance of their need to venture out and many others.

Women are fighting these barriers and overcoming obstacles to attain their fullest potential. Women are still seen venturing into domains largely untouched by their male counterparts in terms of businesses. There are cultural and societal norms that hinder equal participation of women in ventures that men undertake.

But things are slowly changing. Today women entrepreneurs constitute 10 percent of the total number of entrepreneurs in the country. Not a huge number but definitely encouraging.

More financial institutes are realizing the merits of investing in women entrepreneurs’ ventures. One of the most obvious reasons to invest in women leaders in India is that women control the vast majority of household spending. So unless you are a business that is focused mostly on men, women are more likely to better understand customer perspective.

Another is that women are often better at building long-term relationships. Lasting relationships benefit a business tremendously, as only so much can be achieved without trust… with employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, government, etc.

To conclude self-actualization is synonymous with empowerment in women. It is a wheel that has been set in motion.

Most Successful Shepreneurs