November 19th marks Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, a global movement to not only celebrate and empower women entrepreneurs, but also highlight their journey of overcoming systematic challenges. Women entrepreneurs are actively fueling our economy with women-owned businesses in Canada contributing $150 billion to the economy and employing over 1.5 million people.
Women’s entrepreneurship in Alberta is especially exciting with great strides being made to close the gender gap. We are seeing women starting businesses at much higher rates than ever before, and in Alberta there are 84 female entrepreneurs for every 100 male entrepreneurs, compared to the national rate of 63 women for every 100 men.
In celebration of International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, AWE is thrilled to share that the nominations for the 2021 AWE Awards are now open. The AWE Awards were created to showcase the trailblazers of our community and to celebrate the achievements of inspiring women entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship can be a very personal journey. We asked women from across the province what they loved most about being entrepreneurs and here is what some of them had to say:
“I love getting to solve a real need in the marketplace while doing something that I’m incredibly passionate about. ”
“They say that a ship is safest in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are built for. I am a ship and entrepreneurship is the open water and I am doing what I was made to do.”
“Being able to create something that the community loves and in return I can support the community. ”
“I love the creative control that I have over my work and the flexibility that being an entrepreneur affords me.”
“I was made for this. I had no idea what I was going to be when I grew up and I have loved this journey, it has been so rewarding.”
“They say that it is only through relationships that we discover liberation from self. Your relationship with your business will change you profoundly. You will be challenged beyond limits, you will experience intense joys and you will have struggles.”
The pandemic has disproportionately impacted women entrepreneurs around the world. Despite the challenges, it’s been incredible to watch women entrepreneurs in Alberta show resiliency and leadership over the past eight months. We have observed how quickly they have had to pivot their operations, and we have been inspired by the innovation that has come out of these trying times.
At AWE, our hope is to one day achieve gender parity when it comes to entrepreneurship. We believe the future for women entrepreneurs is a bright one, and we are excited to keep supporting women’s entrepreneurial dreams.
