Women in business

Students: Mîțu Melena, Vîrlan Irina

FB13

Nowadays, female entrepreneurship is on the right track. With determination, decision, vision, and a well-
thought-out strategy, more and more women choose to step into the business world. An interesting fact is that,
globally, one third of businesses are owned by women, according to the World Bank.
On heels, in business, it's not always easy. There are major barriers to advancement reported by women
executives, including stereotyping, discrimination, the existence of male-dominant cultures in organizations, less
access to career development opportunities, and their exclusion from networking. According to stereotypes,
family responsibilities are women's responsibilities, and women must make time for family, not for career. The
business environment is seen as a risky, corrupt, and male-dominated space. The worst part is that business is
considered a man's world.
Women have many qualities that help them be successful. As women gain more power and influence in the
world of business, they bring with them fresh ideas and innovation. Across a wide range of industries, greater
gender equality helps to create new products and services. In addition to creativity, qualities of successful women
in business include high emotional intelligence, the ability to identify talent, and the enthusiasm to invite others
to express their opinion or voice. Successful women leaders possess common traits found in all good leaders:
assertiveness, action-mindedness, risk-taking, and problem-solving abilities.
Soft skills and emotional intelligence may prove a key competitive advantage for women in business.
A 2016 study published by the global consulting firm Hay Group found that women outperformed men in 11 of
12 key emotional intelligence competencies. These competencies included emotional self-awareness, empathy,
conflict management, adaptability, and teamwork—all essential skills for effective leadership in the workplace.
An example of a powerful woman who succeeded in business is Mary Barra. She is an American
businesswoman who has been the chair and chief executive officer of General Motors. She is the first female
CEO of a "Big Three" automaker. Barra was listed as 35th on Forbes Most Powerful Women list in 2013, rising
in rank to fourth most powerful in 2018. In 2014, Barra was featured on the cover of Time's "100 Most Influential
People in the World". Even if the automotive sector is associated with men, Mary Barra managed to defy
stereotypes, and she showed that a woman can run any business.
Another example is Zhang Xin, who marked a great upsurge in self-made women in business. She is a
Chinese billionaire, having primarily earned her fortune in the real estate industry. She is the co-founder and
former CEO of SOHO China, a real estate development firm in China. Known as "the woman who built Beijing",
she was once a factory worker, later graduating from Cambridge University with a master’s degree in economic
development.
Most entrepreneurs and executives still tend to be men, but more and more women are becoming business
leaders and innovators. Another example of one of the world’s most successful business women is Susan
Wojcicki, who has been the CEO of YouTube since 2014. She has worked in the technology industry for over
twenty years. She became involved in the creation of Google and worked as Google's first marketing manager in
1999. She was named "the most important person in advertising ". Also, she is described in a later issue of Time
as "the most powerful woman on the Internet ".
From my point of view, inequality between women and men is still a big problem. It is considered that
women are the weaker gender, but I think that they are powerful and they are capable of anything. There is no
limit to what women can accomplish. They have the mindset that there are no barriers to themselves achieving
their goals. These women have no doubt that leadership is a career path open to them. The power of self-belief
leads to action and promotion. Additionally, women are often natural communicators and multitaskers, and they
have different perspectives when it comes to business decisions. They tend to be good at networking and building
relationships. The trend toward positions for women in business seems to be on the rise.
Finally, I can say that women have faced discrimination based on their gender. Some people still think that
they don't have the ability to take their employees to the next level. It was a long struggle for women to get to
where they are today, and there is still a long way to go. Mary Elizabeth once said that you don't have to act like
a man to be a strong woman.