Female entrepreneurship has been a hot topic of late and the startup world is taking notice. Last November, hundreds of organizations recognized the contributions of female entrepreneurs through events, activities and competitions. Next month, the Global Entrepreneurship Network will partner with the White House and the US State Department to run the GES Youth and Women program in Kenya. During this event, 150 hand-selected participants will take part in workshops, lecture series and a pitch competition.
On the other side of the world, GEN Board of Directors member Rebeca Hwang is advising the Chilean government’s new program to support female entrepreneurs. Under the umbrella of Startup Nations member Start-Up Chile, “The S Factory” was established earlier this month.
A recent article by Sustentare explains the need for this sort of mentorship program with a focus on women:
“The lack of women at the head of startups is a concern worldwide. In the United States, for example, the Kauffman Foundation estimates that only 16 percent of the employees of startups are women, and only 10 percent of these companies are led by executives. In [Chile] there are no official figures, but Start-Up Chile statistics show that female entrepreneurs are only 15 percent of the total number of applications received every year.”
The S Factory, which will begin to accept applications to its accelerator program June 22, seeks to address the gender gap in startup ecosystems.