“This is a man's world, this is a man's world, But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman”

In a recent TV show that I featured in called “The Kingdom’s Inventions “ ???????? ??????? by the Saudi Broadcasting company; SBC, a female entrepreneur won 1 Million Riyals on stage next to her all-male competitors. She was a young Saudi women covered from head to toe, smart, intelligent, and sweet. Her invention catered to the handicapper community and assisted them in booking their parking slots prior to arrival. Although and ironically, I am in no way a feminist, and you would usually find me sitting on the men’s table listening to men’s conversations and usually they are a lot more interesting than that of an only women’s table. Yet, my heart skipped a beat, I have to say, I was happy a woman won.

Women face numerous barriers to attaining leadership positions in organizations, including gender bias and stereotypes, lack of representation, limited access to networks, and family and caregiving responsibilities. To address these barriers, organizations can take steps such as addressing unconscious bias, setting diversity and inclusion goals, providing mentorship and sponsorship opportunities, implementing flexible working policies, and ensuring equal pay and opportunities for promotion. These steps can help to increase the representation of women in leadership positions and create a more equitable workplace for women.

But today, I do not want to focus on women in the work force, I want to focus on independent woman who are creating their own fate in the business world.

Let’s talk percentages… The percentage of females who are entrepreneurs in the Middle East varies by country and region. However, in general, women are underrepresented in entrepreneurship in the Middle East compared to men.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2020/2021 report, the average female Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) rate across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was 9.8%, compared to 21.7% for men. This means that less than one in ten women in the region are currently engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

However, it is important to note that there are significant variations between countries. For example, the TEA rate for women in Saudi Arabia was 18.2%, which is higher than the average for men in the country (16.9%). In contrast, the TEA rate for women in Egypt was only 3.2%, compared to 17.6% for men.

In other words, there is a need for more efforts to support women entrepreneurs in the Middle East, including policies and programs that address the unique challenges that women face in starting and growing businesses.

The number of startups owned by women that have successfully found investors varies depending on the region and industry. However, research shows that women-led startups generally face more challenges in securing investment compared to their male counterparts.

According to the 2020 Global Startup Ecosystem Report by Startup Genome, only 3% of venture capital funding went to startups with all-female founders in 2019. In the United States, female-founded startups received only 2.8% of venture capital funding in 2019, while male-founded startups received 97.2%.

However, there is some evidence to suggest that the situation may be improving. For example, in 2020, female-founded startups in the US raised $3.1 billion in venture capital funding, which was a record high and represented a 27% increase from the previous year.

Efforts are also being made to increase the representation of women in entrepreneurship and venture capital. For example, organizations such as All Raise and SheWorx provide resources and support to female entrepreneurs, while investment firms such as Female Founders Fund and BBG Ventures focus specifically on investing in women-led startups.

according to a report by PitchBook, female-founded startups received only 2.3% of global venture capital funding in 2020, indicating a significant funding gap between male and female-led startups. Additionally, a report by the Kauffman Foundation found that female-led startups tend to be smaller and grow at a slower rate than male-led startups.

However, it is important to note that these statistics do not necessarily reflect the potential of women-led startups. Studies have shown that gender-diverse teams and companies tend to perform better, and that women-led startups can outperform their male-led counterparts in some cases.

In summary, while there may be a funding gap and additional challenges for women-led startups, there is no definitive answer as to whether men or women are more successful in startups, as success is influenced by a range of factors.

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