“Be creative, not perfect.” – Whitney Wolfe, Co-founder of Bumble

“The road to success is always under construction.” – Lily Tomlin, actress, comedian, writer, and producer

Women’s Entrepreneurs Day

19 November is dedicated to women entrepreneurs. Since 2014, when it was launched by Wendy Diamond, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day has recognized and celebrated women’s role and success in innovation and business. Today, the initiative has been acknowledged by the United Nations and has reached nearly 150 countries worldwide.

Why was it necessary to create such a day?

As in many other fields, women have often not been treated as equal to men in terms of opportunities, behavior, education, or pay. Even though women have had a visible presence in business, their opinions, initiatives, and achievements were frequently overlooked or undervalued.

Supplementarily, women play a crucial role in entrepreneurship by driving economic growth, job creation, and innovation. At the same time, they face unique challenges that require targeted support and recognition.

Despite progress, structural obstacles remain limited access to capital since women often find it harder to:

• Get funding for their businesses, whether from banks, investors, or grants. They may receive smaller loans, face more questions, or be taken less seriously.
• Fewer mentorship and networking opportunities. Women typically have fewer professional connections and fewer experienced mentors to guide them. Networking events, leadership circles, and investment networks are still often male-dominated.
• In many cultures, women are expected to prioritize family, caregiving, or domestic roles. This can discourage or limit their ability to start or grow a business.
• Various forms of bias. Women meetings or explicit discrimination, for example: being judged more harshly than men, having their ideas dismissed, receiving less credibility in meetings, or being underestimated in leadership roles.

Under those circumstances, it motivated many women to take control of their paths, overcome the fear of risk, failure, and rejection, and prove their capabilities in the entrepreneurial world.

Key Milestones & Facts

• The day is officially held on 19 November each year.
• WEDO presents the “Pioneer Awards” annually, recognizing outstanding women entrepreneurs and leaders in business, philanthropy and innovation.
• Across countries, women now own around one in three businesses globally (though figures vary by region).
• Observance of the day may include conferences, seminars, networking events, business-launch workshops, mentorship programs and special campaigns (such as promoting women-led businesses).
• Women entrepreneurs are 3 times more likely to reinvest their profits into their communities.
• Women-led startups are 2 times more likely to focus on social and environmental issues.
• Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988: A major turning point in the U.S., this act removed many barriers that restricted women’s autonomy in business.

Opportunities

Digital technologies are dramatically lowering the barriers to entrepreneurship for women around the world. From e-commerce platforms that allow direct access to customers, to remote work and digital marketplaces that eliminate location-based constraints. Recent reports show that women’s startup activity has risen globally, from an average of about 6.1 % in the early 2000s to approximately 10.4 % of women launching new ventures in the 2021-2023 period. A standout example is Canva, the global design platform co-founded in 2013 by Australian entrepreneur Melanie Perkins. Under her leadership, Canva has grown into a company valued at nearly $50 billion (2024), empowering over 200 million monthly users worldwide through accessible, intuitive design tools. Its success shows how women-led digital innovation can scale globally and democratize access to creativity.

Again, high-profile campaigns tied to events like Women’s Entrepreneurship Day are shining a brighter spotlight on women’s entrepreneurship. These efforts help to raise awareness, unlock funding commitments and push policy attention and structural change in favor of women in business.

In the long run, supporting women entrepreneurs boosts inclusion, stimulates job creation, enhances innovation and helps economies grow.

How to Celebrate and Make the Most of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day

Women’s Entrepreneurship Day isn’t just a date on the calendar but it’s an opportunity to amplify voices, strengthen ecosystems and champion the women who are reshaping the world of business. Whether you’re an organization, a business leader or simply someone who cares about equality and innovation, here are meaningful ways to observe the day:

1. Join or create a space for learning and connection
   Consider hosting or attending an event, anything from a hands-on workshop to a lively panel discussion or a networking breakfast. These moments of shared knowledge and collaboration can spark new ideas and partnerships.
2. Spotlight women-owned businesses
   Use your digital platforms like your website, social media channels or newsletter in order to feature women entrepreneurs who inspire you. Highlight their work, their products, and their breakthroughs. Visibility can translate into opportunities.
3. Back a women-led startup
   Support can take many forms: a small investment, mentorship, volunteering expertise, offering a pilot contract or simply choosing to buy from a women-owned business. Sometimes the smallest action is the one that opens the biggest door.
4. Share their stories
   Feature interviews or case studies that show what women entrepreneurs are achieving and overcoming. Storytelling is powerful, it humanizes challenges and celebrates victories, while encouraging others to take the leap.
5. Amplify awareness online and offline
   Get involved in the global conversation using hashtags like #WomensEntrepreneurshipDay. Partner with local networks, universities, chambers of commerce or schools to widen the reach and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.
6. Reflect on your own business culture
   If you’re part of an organization, take the day as a prompt to review your internal practices. Are you offering equal access to opportunities? Is your workplace inclusive? Do you champion supplier diversity or offer mentorship pathways? Small internal shifts can drive long-term systemic change.

After all, as the world celebrates Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, it’s clear that investing in women founders it’s not only fair but also smart economics. The next generation of innovators is already here; what remains is building an ecosystem where every woman has the chance to be her own self and thrive.

iED’s Role in Unlocking Women’s Potential in the Business World

iED supports and recognizes women’s contributions to the entrepreneurship world, and that’s why it has created a safe, inclusive space for everyone to explore and grow their business ideas.

Some of our projects include:

ACHIEVE CCS: Its aim is to boost the participation of young women in leadership roles within the cultural and creative sector by addressing root causes of gender inequality and providing targeted support such as training, mentoring and networking. By promoting diversity and equal opportunities, it seeks to build a more inclusive, equitable and representative industry for the future.

SCALE’HER: Its a European initiative that accelerates women-led digital and deep tech startups through personalized support in leadership, market validation, and strategic ecosystem integration. By boosting visibility, fostering cross-border connections, and enabling access to investors and innovation networks, it aims to help high-potential startups scale and drive diversity in Europe’s tech landscape.

HerFund’s INVEST’HER: The HERFUND is a European initiative that promotes and supports women’s entrepreneurship, bringing together partners from seven countries. In its first year, the project has successfully built a pan-European network of investors ready to back women-founded startups, helping them grow sustainably over time. The collaborations between investors and female entrepreneurs are already measurable, with visible results. Although the project runs until February 2026, its legacy is already taking shape through the follow-up initiative, SCALE’HER.

Innovation isn’t defined by gender. It’s powered by bold ideas, resilience, and ambition. Celebrate with us the women shaping a fairer and more inclusive future and create a world where potential knows no boundaries.

As part of the wider observance of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, Maria Pournari delivers a brief but compelling message highlighting the evolving role of women in the entrepreneurial sphere. Her remarks draw attention to the transformative impact of women-led initiatives and the importance of fostering environments where female entrepreneurship can thrive through equal opportunity, strategic support, and sustained recognition.

Watch the full video here: Celebrating World Women’s Entrepreneurship Day with Maria Pournari