Fempreneur Katia Ribeiro is advocating for women’s empowerment and inclusion in entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance of support networks and breaking down barriers.
South Africa (14 March 2024) – Women are more likely than men to choose entrepreneurship, not because they have a burning passion or the right skills, but because of a lack of better opportunities.
This was confirmed by 46% of female respondents in a survey conducted by 1st for Women Insurance, which also found that 93% of the respondents have ‘fempreneur’ ambitions.
In the survey, almost half (48%) of respondents felt that they are not provided with the same opportunities as men in a nine-to-five job. When asked what they would do if they were an entrepreneur, 30% said social media influencers, content creators or business consultants, 27% have their sights set on the food industry, and 20% want to open an online business. 23% listed the ‘other’ category with some having hopes to one day open a beauty salon, become a singer, offer coding lessons to kids and be a taxi-preneur, for example.
These aspirations carry massive potential.
A report published by the Boston Consulting Group titled, “Why Women-Owned Start-ups Are a Better Bet”, found that businesses started by women deliver more than twice as much than those founded by men. What’s more, a study published in the World Economic Forum found that women are 10% more productive than men and do more work in less time.
So why, then, is the burden of unemployment more pronounced for women than men in South Africa?
Fempreneur, Katia Ribeiro, the driving force behind Bella Trends, believes that women’s representation and participation in the workforce and economy could improve if more women supported women. She says that women should adopt a ‘boys club’ mentality, not in the way of exclusion but rather in terms of unwavering support and encouragement.
“Inspiring inclusion, which is the theme of International Women’s Day this year, is needed to encourage more fempreneurs. By doing so, challenges like gender inequality, bias, stereotypes and discrimination will no longer be an issue. Like it’s been said, empowered women empower women. If we inspire others to understand and value women’s inclusion and if more women are encouraged to realise their own strength and limitless abilities, we can conquer the gender divide,” says Ribeiro.
Be a cheerleader for other women.
Ribeiro understands the challenges and barriers that exist for women who want to plunge into the entrepreneurship pool but says that it’s about being a cheerleader for other women.
“I had always wanted to own and run my own business. I also knew that this business would uplift and support other women in business. During the pandemic, I took a leap of faith and launched Bella Trends – a space where women can flourish and realise their true potential. Bella Trends started as a salon – a place where women can come together, share and inspire one another. Over the years, we have expanded to include services like staff wellness, marketing, events management, empowerment programmes and marketing collateral,” explains Ribeiro.
Ribeiro found a cheerleader in the most unlikely of places.
“When I started Bella Trends, I knew I needed business insurance to protect my expensive tools of the trade should anything happen. I took out a business insurance policy with 1st for Women because their values of women empowerment aligned with my own. My policy came with a value-add service called BizAssist. BizAssist supports women, like me, with access to professional advisors, mentors and specialists who are experts in key business areas like technology, business management, operations, finance, marketing and sales. I used BizAssist for website design and development. Launching this website was a game-changer for me and my business. Suddenly, Bella Trends was visible and my business, as well as my confidence, grew in leaps and bounds,” says Ribeiro.
How can you Inspire Inclusion?
- Break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create environments where all women are valued and respected.
- Recruit, retain and mentor female talent.
- Remember: diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.
For more information on Inspiring Inclusion click here.
If you are a Fearless Fempreneur or SHE-EO, building dreams and empires, listen up. 1st for Women Business Insurance is giving away R10,000 in cash to boost your business.
Click here to sign up for business news and updates and stand the chance to win.
by 