The number of independent professional women has risen in the last few decades, but the image of “the entrepreneur” in Germany is still male-dominated. The number of start-ups founded by women is increasing, and nowadays more of these are full-time, and not just part-time, occupations (2016: 39%). More women setting up companies means more ideas, more jobs, and stronger growth for Germany. A high level of diversity of business models and corporate cultures can also generate crucial competitive advantages.
Successful women entrepreneurs as role models
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy wants to encourage women to use their qualifications and skills to realise their own business ideas and to build up successful companies. The Economic Affairs Ministry’s “WOMEN Entrepreneurs” initiative has been spotlighting women entrepreneurs in nearly all sectors since 2014.
Under the initiative, successful women entrepreneurs serve as role models for schoolgirls, trainees, students, graduates and other women interested in going into business, showing them the opportunities and challenges of running one’s own business. This gives the women and girls a realistic and highly personal insight into what daily life as an entrepreneur is really like. The women entrepreneurs show how entrepreneurship can be an attractive career option for women. The “WOMEN Entrepreneurs” initiative also helps to make the work undertaken by female entrepreneurs more visible – presenting their success, their dedication, and their contribution to the future of Germany’s economy.
The “Women Entrepreneurs’ Breakfast”, which was launched in 2014, is targeted at women interested in going into business, bringing them together with successful women entrepreneurs and providing ideas about all the issues relating to start-ups.
For further information, please click here.
Giving targeted support to women entrepreneurs
In order to furnish women interested in setting up a business with tailored information for their projects, the Economic Affairs Ministry has set up a women entrepreneurs. The website presents local contacts and networks, runs a hotline for direct contacts, and works with the nationwide Agency for Women Start-ups to present women who have successfully set up their own company. For more than ten years, the Agency for Women Start-ups has offered a nationwide network of 2,000 regional partners for the exchange of experience between female Start-up entrepreneurs and businesswomen.
Successful women in the digital sector
Whilst far fewer women set up a company in technology-oriented fields, there are successful women entrepreneurs here too. The “Women in digital” initiative therefore aims to increase the visibility of the female digital founders and entrepreneurs and to support their networking among themselves. “Women in digital” offers female decision-makers in companies, the media, politics, organisations and business associations a platform for cooperation, projects and dialogue.
You can find out more on the “Women in digital” website.