Gender Mainstreaming: The Role Entrepreneurs Can Play and Why ...

Gender Mainstreaming: 

The Role Entrepreneurs Can Play and Why It is Important 

Introduction 

With respect to the role that entrepreneurs can play in ‘gender mainstreaming’, it is more 

accurate to think in terms of ‘partnering’ and of women accessing ‘spheres of influence’. 

Often women are excluded from traditional or mainstream organizations, networks, events, 

business opportunities, jobs or even statistics because they are not visible, their contribution 

is unknown much less unrecognized or they are simply forgotten! Sometimes, omission of 

women is intentional and sometimes it is just negligence or ignorance. In simplistic terms, 

think of ‘gender mainstreaming’ as just a more strategic evolution of networking. 

What is Gender Mainstreaming? 

‘Gender mainstreaming’ is a formally recognized, widely used and highly technical term 

which can have a variety of meanings. In general, “gender mainstreaming” means that 

women and men have equitable access to and benefit from society’s resources, opportunities 

and rewards and equal participation in influencing what is valued, and in shaping directions 

and decisions. 1 It also refers to the integration of a gender perspective or awareness into the 

way in which a society or organization operates. In reference to women-owned service 

businesses, “gender mainstreaming” refers to support activities that are integrated into 

government and association policy and operations. All too often, initiatives to assist small 

businesses focus only on businesses owned by men, and initiatives specifically to help 

women are isolated from ongoing programming. 

Gender mainstreaming involves the full participation of women in all aspects of life and 

addresses access issues to increase women’s participation in sectors where they are 

weakly represented. With respect to businesswomen, this is often in the area of export, 

international trade and trade missions. At the core of “gender mainstreaming” is a 

commitment to change attitudes so that women and men are equal participants in any 

initiatives for the private sector and to adopt gender-sensitive indicators for the purpose of 

ongoing monitoring and evaluation of gender mainstreaming. 

One of the most important principles to remember when discussing gender mainstreaming 

and developing a strategy to integrate businesswomen into main stream networks, is that it 

should never be confrontational. The idea is not an ‘either / or’ situation but to realize that 

what is good for women in business is good for all business and that by working together 

equally with businessmen and having the same opportunities, then the economy, business 

and development will be better for all. 

1 Gibb, Heather, Gender Mainstreaming Good Practices from the Asia Pacific Region, The North-South Institute, 2001 

54-56 rue de Montbrillant Postal address: Palais des Nations Telephone: +41 22 730 01 11 E-mail: itcreg@intracen.org 

CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Fax: +41 22 733 44 39 Internet: http://www.intracen.org

INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UNCTAD/WTO Page 2 

Why is Gender Mainstreaming Important? 

For women to grow their businesses and expand in an increasingly competitive world, they 

have to have equal access to the opportunities, support and benefits that male owned 

businesses have. While women focused business associations and networks can be very 

helpful and supportive to women owned service businesses and women often start their 

businesses by providing services to other women owned businesses, it is crucial that 

women become integrated into the Chambers of Commerce, professional networks, 

associations, trade initiatives and trade opportunities that men have access to. Being 

recommended by male colleagues or being active in ‘mainstream’ networks can 

automatically increase the credibility of women owned service businesses and broaden 

their markets. 

When women entrepreneurs are included in mainstream fora, chambers, discussions and 

networks, and research, they have a profound influence in a variety of ways. Participation 

brings increased awareness of the role and success of women. It increases the visibility of 

women and increases the potential for more business and growth. Participation of women 

entrepreneurs can influence the way new policy is made and alter government programs 

so that they do not exclude or hinder women entrepreneurs. Discussions at conferences 

take on a different tone and become more relevant to the needs of women entrepreneurs. 

Women are interesting! Their businesses are interesting. Why exclude willing players 

who want to make a positive contribution? It is just more fun to have women involved! 

Recognizing the Barriers 

Barriers to women and their participation exist in a variety of ways: formal or implied. 

Typically, women entrepreneurs are excluded from mainstream networks, trade missions, 

conferences, associations, chambers and business development initiatives for economic 

reasons – the price is just to high to participate! The cost of joining or participating in 

events is often beyond what most small (hence women owned) businesses can afford. 

Even when women are willing to pay the entry price, they may deem that there are better 

uses of their money with a better return on their investments. The ‘culture’ of established 

networks can be intimidating and uninviting to women. Timing and venues of events may 

be inconvenient for women with families 

The Role That Women Entrepreneurs Can Play 

Entrepreneurs can play a unique role in breaking down the barriers to women and increasing 

the full participation of women in business. By nature, entrepreneurs are innovative and 

innovators who are risk takers! They are leaders who are in a unique position to lead by 

example. Entrepreneurs are creative and want to do business! They do not have to be 

bound by traditional rules but can make their own as they go along – entrepreneurs can 

create a whole new way of doing business! The most important thing that they can do is get 

involved. Become visible. Whether this is through networking or networks, the more visible 

and involved women are, the higher the potential to be ‘invited’ to participate in mainstream 

fora. Networking with men in positions of influence can be very effective, Leading women 

entrepreneurs can play a vital role in breaking down barriers for women who are not as 

visible – indeed they have a responsibility to speak for those who can not speak for 

themselves and to assist in accessing opportunities for more women. In order for women to 

break out of the cycle of small, local businesses, they have to have access to ‘the larger


market’ and this can be through chambers, conferences, trade missions, trade associations 

and businesses that have traditionally been more open to men. 

Large companies have a role to play in opening opportunities for women entrepreneurs as 

well. Women entrepreneurs are not only suppliers of goods and services, but we are also 

users of goods and services. We purchase raw materials, we bank at financial institutions, 

we use telephones, computers, couriers, office supplies, professional advisers – all the 

goods and services that any business uses. Individually our businesses may be small at 

the moment, but collectively we represent a very large and growing market. 

Who to ‘target’ – Spheres of Influence, Decision Makers, Potential 

Champions 

Look around to see who the leaders are: who do you want to target? Everyone knows 

who they are: the spheres of influence, the decision makers, the networks, but most of all, 

who can you enlist to be ‘champions’ for women entrepreneurs. Champions are found 

when you least expect it: other successful women, politicians, civil servants, high profile 

men, business people and they exist in the: 

v Public sector 

v Private sector 

v Associations and networks 

How To Do It – Get Involved 

Gender mainstreaming in the context of businesswomen is all about inclusion and 

recognition. The best way to achieve this is to just get involved. The following are some 

general guidelines that are helpful: 

‣ Identify issues and why - what is it that you want to be included in and why 

aren’t women included? Often this is for economic reasons – if so, look for 

alternative. For example if it is too costly for women to join chambers or 

organizations then look for alternatives such as a woman representative or 

having an associate relationship through another organization such as a 

women’s organizations. If the conferences are too expensive to attend, then 

nominate women as speakers or even volunteers to assist in organizing, 

providing services or participation in promotion – the key is to get included and 

get in the door; 

‣ Define desired outcomes – before you start, determine what is your desired 

outcome – is it women on trade missions, more women members, more women 

speakers, better policy for women, - determine the desired outcomes and be 

strategic in achieving them; 

‣ Show how the objectives will provide benefits for women – often the benefits to 

women are not instant or obvious so show how women can benefit from a more 

inclusive business community; 

‣ Show how the participation of women can be sought – as in the model illustrated 

below, it may be necessary to actually show how women can be identified and 

solicited – when women are not part of the formal sector or business community, 

it is too easy to assume that they do not exist, or are not interested - therefore 

women have to be active in identifying each other;


‣ Provide a brief description of the way in which women can participate and add 

value – this may be obvious to women but not so obvious to the mainstream – 

when women try to change the status quo or become included, it can be 

threatening or deemed confrontational – this is to no-one’s advantage. By being 

strategic and showing how women can participate and the added value of 

participation, we create a scenario where everyone can win; 

‣ Get women be involved in decision making capacities – ultimately women want 

to be involved at the decision making level, especially in advocacy or when 

influencing policy. Women’s life and business experiences differ from men’s so 

their view will be different and needs to be represented; 

‣ Gather information on potential ‘partners’ – make sure that the partnering is 

logical and both will benefit. Resources are limited so strategic planning is key 

to success; 

‣ Do research and be well prepared. Know about the public sector or the private 

company or the network or association. Do your homework; 

‣ Develop/analyze options – partnering and penetrating into the mainstream 

business world will not happen overnight so women should have other options 

such as continued working together and development of their own networks and 

businesses to increase their own visibility and success; 

‣ Make recommendations in a constructive way on how to include more women; 

‣ Communicate plans, business information, opportunities, research, promotion, 

successes of women entrepreneurs; 

‣ Evaluate how successful the initiatives to include women are? If they are not 

working or are not having any success, then evaluate why. Timing is critical and 

giving time is critical. Perhaps methods or champions have to be amended; 

‣ Do not act in a threatening way – no one likes confrontation and no one likes to 

feel as if something (especially women!) are being forced on them; 

‣ Start at the top – this may sound elitist but leaders will bring along others and 

help elevate all women – pick the champions wisely! 

‣ Publicize success of women - through awards and recognition such as: 

• Women Inventors and Innovators Awards 

• Women Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 

• Women of Achievement 

• Public Sector – government recognition programs 

• Private Sector – privately sponsored programs 

• Associations and networks – create recognition 

• Ensure that women are nominated for all awards


Women’s Trade Mission Model 

In 1997, the Government of Canada organized the first businesswomen’s trade mission to 

the United States. This was developed by the collaborative efforts of the public sector 

(government – the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Industry 

Canada, Export Development Canada, Business Development Bank of Canada) and the 

private sector (Royal Bank of Canada, General Motors Canada, IBM, Hodgson Russ law 

firm) and NGO’s (the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, the 

Foundation of Canadian Women Entrepreneurs and the National Association of Women 

Business Owners in the United States). This trade mission was brought about as a direct 

result of ‘champions’ in both the private and public sector who recognized that the 

participation of businesswomen in trade missions was dismally low. The government of 

Canada assumed (incorrectly) that women were not interested in expanding internationally 

or doing business internationally or that their businesses were too small. The reality was 

that most women were never invited to participate on trade missions or new little if 

anything about the opportunities of doing business with Canada’s greatest trading partner! 

When the government actively made an effort to identify potential participants and sought 

out the participation of women through a variety of contacts, associations, marketing and 

referrals and the assistance of the private sector, they were overwhelmed. Hundreds of 

women made enquiries, several hundred applied and finally, more than 100 Canadian 

businesswomen participated in this groundbreaking event. 

The public and private sector together with two NGO’s collaborated to ensure a highly 

successful event. That trade mission, led by Canada’s then Minister for International 

Trade, the Honourable Sergio Marchi and hosted by Canada’s then Ambassador to the 

United States, His Excellency Raymond Chrétien, resulted in more than $30 million of joint 

partnerships and new business signed during the mission. A high profile media campaign 

was enacted and for the first time, women entrepreneurs engaged in roundtable 

discussions directly with the Minister. Business matching was organized and training 

workshops took place. The women involved had businesses which ranged from micro to 

large. Individually they employed from one to several hundred people, but when 

collectively these 100 women employed more than 8,000 people directly and 40,000 

indirectly and were responsible for more than $400 million in revenue (and they all voted!) 

At these figures, the Minister and the rest of the government and private sector began to 

listen. This model has been copied many times since. The objectives from the outset 

were not to exclude women from main stream trade missions but rather to do the following: 

include women entrepreneurs in international trade; show that there are women interested 

in expanding internationally; help educate women about doing business internationally in 

an environment that they were comfortable in; increase the participation of women in 

mainstream trade missions; and raise the overall profile of women entrepreneurs in 

Canada. By all accounts this mission was a success. No one in Canada today says that 

women entrepreneurs are not making a difference! 

Conclusion and Final Tips 

‣ Become aware of your community’s opportunities and protocol for inclusiveness. 

‣ Communicate with other organizations and learn about their interests and work 

towards building a coalition with them to achieve a greater visibility. 

‣ Make the female voice one of solutions not of complaints; focus on and find 

solutions that are responsive to real needs and be positive.


‣ Learn to use the media – keep in mind that you gain more through cooperating 

with the media than by trying to challenge them; use the media to reach decision 

makers and celebrate success. 

‣ When developing a strategy, it is good to ask, what different results in impact or 

opportunity will this initiative have, respectively on men and women. 

‣ Setting targets for women’s participation is effective. 

‣ Lead by example.

Gender Mainstreaming: The Role Entrepreneurs Can Play and Why ...

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