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Female entrepreneurship is on the rise globally and has been recognized as an important untapped source of economic growth.
In USA, the number of women-owned businesses has increased by 20 percent between 1997 and 2002. In 2008, women owned firms employed more than 13 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales. In Canada, 47 % of SMEs have some degree of female ownership, with 16 % majority-owned by women. Annually, they contribute $18 billion to Canada's economy. In China, it is estimated that women own 30% of all small and medium-sized businesses. In Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the West Bank and Gaza, the share of female-owned firms that have increased their workforce recently exceeds the share of male-owned firms.
Even in mature market economies level of female entrepreneurship typically falls considerably below that of the male population.
A systematic gender gap exists with respect to new venture creation and business ownership. Employment matters to entrepreneurial activity. Those women who are employed in a wage job are three to four times more likely to be involved in entrepreneurial activity than those who are not working, are retired, or are students. .
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Role models
Access to information
Lobbying
Entrepreneurship in Bosnia
27 % women 85 % micro/small
22.6%
Regional Comparisons
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THANK YOU!
Sevi Simavi
ssimavi@ifc.org
++ 1 202 473 9395
To download the Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, visit www.ifc.org/gender and click Gender Tools and Resources > Business Enabling Environment > Bosnia and Herzegovina
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