Fields like business and entrepreneurship have always been governed by the male section of the society. It was so much so that women were even shunned from business conversations as it was not considered their “thing”. With more and more women taking up entrepreneurship, inspiration among other ladies is enjoying its prime time.
A new term has been coined just recently. It’s “womentrepreneurs”. Sadly enough, the term got its origin after a lot of struggle and sacrifices. Even today, the hassles are not over. In fact, the struggle remains unresolved and overlooked.
But why is it that if you are a woman and an entrepreneur, you are given special hash tags like “womentrepreneurs”, “sheroes” etc? Why can’t these be simple one word terms like “entrepreneurs” or “heroes”? Are you some special breed that just landed on earth and people are going crazy to look-in?
As a woman I leave it to you to find your answers. I am sure the questions throughout the article have got hidden solutions. Let us first explore the problems faced by women at work and also inspect how to withhold them and revert back.
Also read: Success comes to a woman only when she becomes a rebel
Trouble lies at the origin
The complication starts from the roots. When a woman is starting up, a business or even a small enterprise, she is made to think that she should work like a man to be taken seriously. But how can gender decide any difference in handling business stuffs? Moreover, when a woman attends her office or any business event, she can count the number of women on her finger tips! Even talking to male executives becomes intimidating. A woman needs to be practical and confident enough about her position. Well, she doesn’t need to be a man to prove her capabilities! She has reached the same position as any other guy through the same hard work and dedication. Instead of being uncomfortable about the situation, why not be proud of?
Questions asked
Questions asked to a woman entrepreneur often have no relevance to her work. Surprisingly, she is asked questions like- “How will you be able to manage both family and work?”, “Are your in-laws and husband supportive?”, “When are you planning to have children?” And a woman in these situations just sighs saying,”Oh God! Help me!” While any man in the same position is asked questions about finance, managing relations in business etc., women are thrown into an immaterial quiz session. And by the way, this is not all. The joke doesn’t just end here. Women who are already successful and running their business well and are single are often mocked and looked down upon. A woman entrepreneur shared her experience when she was asked by a male,”Do you know how it feels to have children?” Oh boy! Here is a man asking a woman about motherhood! Yes, this is how odd the society can get and women need to shrewd while answering back.
Women who are successful need to raise their voice more than the ones who are not to improve the scenario. People always pay heed to those who are successful because they have obviously done more to reach that position. It is only women who can stand by women and help them grow faster and bigger!
Odd situations
The most shocking and shameless point is women are often taken for granted. There lies no doubt that running an organization is too big a task. A CEO, be it be a man or a woman may often need to stay away from his/her home late hours. He/she may need to attend extensive networking sessions and parties late night. But if a business woman is standing in a hall, full of male executives, in a short dress with a glass of wine in her hand, that never indicates that she is available! She has a reputation and glory like any other. She has her say like any other and she has the right to enjoy proudly at business parties like any other! These rights don’t come to her by getting laid but by her perseverance. Mind it!
Children and family
Work-life balance is a challenge to every entrepreneur but for women, it often becomes a compulsion. It even becomes the condition to step into business. If she fails to handle both the things parallely, she is instructed simply by her husband or in-laws to stay back at home. Is this how a woman’s dream should go in vain? If so, is it really important to stay in such a family? I am not trying to be assertive or biased here but it is certainly something to ponder upon, especially for those who perceive profession over personal fulfillment! If there’s no one who can understand a woman’s efforts, it is the mirror which echoes, “The person before you is always going to stay by your side!” Women need to remember that if they succumb to the oppression of the society, she is demeaning the whole community which is fizzing hard to raise its voice.
Multitasking
Women are often called multitaskers. Well, that’s something to boast about! But why has the situation arisen to multitask at the first place? Do men cook before and after their office? A woman gets equally exhausted as a man after her whole day work. Still she manages her children, goes to work, cook, pay the bills and after all that listens to the taunts by her in-laws. Does she really deserve such a life? If a woman has the super power to multitask, she very well can transform people’s behavior. But yes, that can never be done if she stays silent. She needs to raise her voice and make it very clear that she needs equal space as her husband.
Women are judged more
Investments are an inevitable part for a big business to get off the ground. But experience has shown how reluctant investors are if a woman is standing at the pitching desk. There are innumerable stories of women who have failed to raise money for the mere reason of being a woman. Investors often don’t believe that women will be able to keep their business buoyed up. They think that women can get distracted in the future due to family pressure or might give up due to fear of failure. If that’s really so, why will she be standing before an investor struggling to get her business model approved? Is she herself not aware of the future implications? Why is a woman always made to realize that she can meet a different fate altogether? A man can also face problems and can shut down his business. Women need to be amazingly adamant in such cases!
Negotiating daunts!
Women often feel nervous when it comes to negotiate about money. Survey shows that men are more active and straightforward when it comes to talk about their share than women. It is totally wrong to remain silent and settle with a bad number. If that is what really happens, a woman is not eligible enough to be a business lady as corporate field demands only straightforward and practical people. It is salary and the share that speaks for a person’s skills in this real world. It is time that women speak up, not only about money but anything that they find is right and should be done!
Also read: Read how Chanda Kochhar found her way to success
Women have extraordinary common sense, tackling power, and focus on people. They are born with great intuitive power and they know how to avoid miserable and odd situations. This is because they are accustomed to do so in her family since ages and so she can never fail to do so when it comes to business. Women need to ignore the inner and external voices that discourage her to take actions; she needs to speak up resolutely and get out of her comfort zone.
