Women entrepreneurship has long been associated

with concepts such as women empowerment and

emancipation. Increasingly, it has also been marketed
as crucial for increasing the quality of life of women in
the developing world. Further, it has also been
encouraged as way of making changes to the status-
quo of women in the Muslim world and re-addressing
the balance of power within the family unit. The
benefits of women entrepreneurship are many and
varied and have been researched in great detail in the
past. The purpose of this research is to facilitate a
discussion on how best to empower women using
entrepreneurship. This will in turn help in the
marketing of entrepreneurship as a tool for the female
empowerment and emancipation…
Women Entrepreneurs means the women or a group
of women who initiate, organize and operate a
business enterprise. A woman entrepreneur is
therefore a confident, creative and innovative woman
desiring economic independence individually and
simultaneously creating employment opportunities for
others in the advanced countries of the world, there is
a phenomenal increase in the number of self-employed
women after the World War II.
The term “women entrepreneur” deals with that
section of the female population who venture out into
industrial activities i.e. manufacturing, assembling, job
works, repairs/servicing and other businesses. The
Government of India has treated women
entrepreneurs of a different criteria-level of women
participation in equity and employment position of the
enterprise. Women entrepreneurs have taken initiative
in promoting and running an enterprise by having a
controlling interest in that particular enterprise.
As a female entrepreneur, you need consistency,
determination and a refusal to give up taking your
business to the next level.
A successful leader inspires, motivates, mentors
and directs others toward a higher goal. Let's be
honest here: You'll have to do more if you're a
woman in our male-dominated business world.

successful women leaders possess common traits

found in all good leaders — assertiveness, action-
mindedness, risk-taking and problem-solving
abilities. However, they must also acquire other
qualities to succeed and overcome the many
obstacles they face at home and in the workplace.
Over the years, women have progressed through
the ranks of the professional world to represent
more than half of the U.S. workforce. Still, women
continue to hold a far smaller share
of leadership positions in various sectors than
men.

Leadership gender disparity remains stubbornly

high. One reason for this is the unconscious bias
that leads people to react differently to male and
female leaders — for instance, male ambition is
often lauded. In contrast, female ambition often
results in hostility. Moreover, women are expected
to be more compassionate, ethical and better at
forging compromises than men.
 The following are some qualities that Drive Your Success as
a Female Entrepreneur.

1. Integrity

2. Humility and a willingness to learn

3. Resilience and persistence

4. Intuition

5. Adaptability
6. Communication skills

7. Empathy

8. Strong support system

it is common for successful women to support

their female counterparts, champion women in
the workplace and help others ascend the
corporate ladder. Women are less likely to be
"lone wolves" or "leaders of the pack," lending
themselves naturally to helping others.
Role of women entrepreneur
Economic growth and development of any country are
determined by human, physical and financial resources.
An economy can move on to higher levels of growth
either by acquiring a larger quantum of the factors of
production or through technical progress. The objective
of any planned development is to develop human
resources to their brimming utilisation. Therefore,
industrialisation is one of the ways of bringing about
socio-economic development in any country. The
economic development of a nation is sparked largely by
its enterprising spirit. The characteristic of enterprising
emerges from the inter play of behaviour and activity of
special segment of the population known as
entrepreneurs. For example, India’s economy is today
poised for a flourishing entrepreneurial activity. It is
also known that a healthy business environment is an
essential requirement for entrepreneurial growth.
Women constitute almost 50 per cent of the world
population. So the socio-economic participation of
women at the international, regional, national and local
levels means using significant potential resources more
effectively. Moreover, it is noticeable that
entrepreneurship development and empowerment are
complementary to each other. Women empowerment
depends on taking part in various development
activities. In other words, the involvement of women in
various entrepreneurial activities has empowered them
in social, economic, culture and other related fields. It
can be understood that women entrepreneurs have been
making significant impact in all segments of the
economy in the developed countries like Canada,
United kingdom, Germany, Australia and the united
states, etc.,
Women entrepreneurs engaged in business due to
different push and pull factors which encourage women
to have an independent occupation and stands on their
own legs. For example, move towards independent
decision making on their life and career is the
motivational factor behind this urge. In other words,
women entrepreneurs are persons who accept
challenging roles to meet their personal needs and
become economically independent. Besides, a strong
desire to do something positive is an inbuilt quality of
entrepreneurial women, who is capable of contributing
values in both family and social life. The challenges and
opportunities provided to the women of this digital and
dynamic era are growing rapidly that the job seekers are
turning in to job creators. On the other hand, many
women start a business due to some traumatic events,
such as divorce, death of bread winner, sudden fall in
family income, permanent adequacy in the income of
the family etc.
The rising number of female business owners is
currently a global trend especially in the developing
countries. In the advanced market economies, women
own more than 25 per cent of all business. Many people
argue that women are ‘pushed’ rather than ‘pulled’ in to
business ownership but recent, but recent studies
indicate that many women now actively choose self-
employment, especially the younger women. Quite
interestingly, women entrepreneurs can significantly
contribute to poverty reduction, mobilisation of
entrepreneurial initiatives and accelerating the
achievement of wider socio-economic objectives.
However, the contribution of women entrepreneurs
depends on their performance, which, in turn, is
affected by the underlying facilitators and barriers. Over
the past two decades, women entrepreneurs have come
to be recognised for their significant contributions to
socio-economic development of their respective
countries.
Nothing is more empowering than women
entrepreneurs holding prominent positions men
typically fill. This write-up shares the 10 Most
Successful Women Entrepreneurs in the World.
These businesswomen have broken multiple
shackles to achieve the height they are at.

As time goes on, more and more women

become business owners, and opportunities for
all women continue to grow at an increasing
rate. Some women run large corporations, while
others start their women-owned firms. Some
women are destined for success from birth,
while others are unsuccessful entrepreneurs.

Women are increasing the bar across the board,

whether in business or education. Women in
large numbers are choosing entrepreneurship
as a career, with opportunities now accessible
worldwide. The tenacity women have displayed
in recent years to travel the arduous path to
entrepreneurship is genuinely admirable. Let’s
look at some of the outstanding Successful
Women Entrepreneurs in the World who,
despite adversity, have managed to make their
ambitions a reality.
Top 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs in The
World

1. Lynda Resnick
Lynda Resnick, a well-known entrepreneur and
philanthropist, and her husband Stewart
established The Wonderful Company, a holding
company that has allowed Resknick to
collaborate with numerous brands over the
years, including POM Wonderful, Fiji Water, the
Teleflora company, and many others. Resnick’s
business currently boasts $4 billion or more in
annual revenue.

2. Caterina Fake
In 2004, Caterina Fake, an American
entrepreneur and businesswoman, co-founded
Flickr, a well-known image- and video-hosting
platform with more than 112 million members
and a net worth of $25 million. Fake later
founded the website Hunch in 2007, she
currently holds the position of chairwoman for
Etsy, and the Silicon Valley community has
acknowledged her as a valuable angel investor. 
3. Arianna Huffington
The Huffington Post was launched in 2005 by
Arianna Huffington, a successful novelist,
columnist, publisher, and entrepreneur. After
just six years, she sold the website to AOL for
$315 million. Later, Huffington established
Thrive Global and raised $30 million in a new
funding round that valued the company at $120
million. Thrive Global is another online
community that combines content and
technology to promote mental health,
wellbeing, and behaviour change. Arianna also
participated in ‘Call My Bluff’ and ‘Face the
Music’ panel shows on BBC television and the
monthly political discussion program Any
Questions? on BBC Radio 4.

4. Sara Blakely
Sara Blakely is a renowned female entrepreneur
and philanthropist. She founded her company
Spanx with $5,000 of her funds, and since it has
developed into a corporation with a current
market worth of $1.2 billion. Blakely’s net worth
surpassed $1 billion when she sold a majority
stake in Spanx to Blackstone in October 2021.
After building the company from the ground up
with very little funding, Blakely’s fortune
increased because her products were promoted
by another famous female entrepreneur, Ophra
Winfrey, after being turned down by numerous
possible investors. With 100 crores USD net
worth Sara Blakely is one of the wealthiest and
most Successful Women Entrepreneurs in the
World.

5. Janice Bryant Howroyd

It’s understandable why Forbes listed her as one
of the wealthiest self-made women. ActOne
Group founder Janice Bryant Howroyd’s
company is the first owned and operated by an
African-American woman to generate more
than $1 billion in yearly revenue. After Howroyd
started the Los Angeles-based employment
agency and consultancy with just $1,500 in
1978, it now serves more than 17,000 clients in
19 different countries.

6. Melanie Perkins
One of the younger female entrepreneurs on
this list, Melanie Perkins, is the CEO and co-
founder of Canva and transformed her industry
before the age of 30. After the powerful visual
design platform was introduced in 2013, Perkins
assisted in guiding the business to notable
success, and it today boasts more than 60
million monthly users. It is valued at more than
$40 billion. Forbes listed Perkins as one of the
“Top Under 30 of the Decade” in the world in
2020.

7. Tory Burch
Tory Burch is a fashion designer, entrepreneur,
and CEO who built a company with more than
$1.5 billion annual sales lion annual sales.
Designer handbags, shoes, and clothing are
produced under Burch’s label. Tory Burch LLC,
founded in 2004, presently has more than 300
locations worldwide. Women of various ages
love Tory Burch fashion, especially Gossip Girl
watchers and followers who frequently saw
them on the show.

8. Cher Wang
her Wang is the creator of HTC; a billion-dollar
technology business focused on developing new
and creative cellphones. Despite market
downturns, Wang works to revive the company
and develop new products to increase sales.
She is a most successful Taiwanese
businesswoman and philanthropist. In 2014,
Forbes ranked her as the 54th most influential
woman in the world.

9. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
The first female entrepreneur in India, Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw is also renowned for her
incredible riches. In 1978, she started the
company Biocon, which specializes in
biopharmaceuticals and is available in more
than 120 nations worldwide. An Indian
billionaire businesswoman who made
remarkable contributions to the advancement
of chemistry and science was given the Othmer
Gold Medal. She was ranked 68th on Forbes’ list
of the most powerful women in the world in
2019.

10. Judy Faulkner

Judy Faulkner, one of the wealthiest female
entrepreneurs in the world with a net worth of
$5.5 billion, is the founder and CEO of the
healthcare software company Epic Systems. The
multibillionaire entrepreneur founded her
business in 1979 in the basement of her home
in Wisconsin, but Faulkner helped it grow into
one of the world’s top software providers. It’s
understandable why Forbes listed her as one of
the most influential women in healthcare.

Role and contribution of women entrepreneurs in

India
In India, women dominate the micro enterprise sector
both in rural and urban areas. According to the central
statistical authority women account for close to 70 per
cent of the micro enterprises in India are run by
women. However, their participation in small, medium
and large enterprises diminishes. Beyond the
participating in productive activities such as
agriculture, trade and industry, women have multiple
roles in society. They participate in productive activities
such as agriculture; they are responsible for caring for
the family including the preparation of food, health
care and education. Women need to balance this
different role and therefore they are multitasked,
managing their businesses alongside all other roles
they are expected to perform. Women account for a
larger share of the informal economy operators, as
well as those running micro and small enterprises in
India . MSME‘s make a significant contribution to the
socio-economic development of the country by way of
supporting the people to earn money and make a
contribution to family income, and by supplying basic
goods and services for local consumption. However
this contribution is not fully recognise or understand,
and there is little in the way research or statistics to
provide a broader understanding of women’s
experience as business owners, their contribution to
economic development or the challenges they face in
setting up, managing and growing their enterprise.

Women entrepreneurs are often described as’

survivalist’ and dominate the low skill, low capital
intensive and often informal and micro business.
Women tend to focus on business that is a
continuation of their domestic roles, such as the
service sector. The potential for the growth of
women’s enterprises is said to below and is driven less
by entrepreneurial drive than the need for survival.
Women comprise 74 per cent of those employed in the
micro enterprises sector. More than 65 per cent of all
women in cottage\handicraft industries (micro
enterprise) were engaged in processing food products
and beverages.
Economic contribution: Women’s economic activities
contribute directly to growth and efficiency in dealing
with informal business problems and poverty reduction
is one of the main issues for policy makers

i)Capital formation: Entrepreneurs mobilise the idle

savings of the public through the issue of industrial
securities . Investment of public savings in industry
results in productive utilisation of national resources.
The rate of capital formation increases, which is
essential for rapid economic growth.

ii) Improvement in Per capita Income: women

entrepreneurs in India have also been exploiting the
opportunities the opportunities. They convert the
latent and idle resources like land, labour and capital in
to national income and wealth in the form of goods
and services. They help increase the country’s net
national product and per capita which are important
yardsticks for measuring the economic growth.

iii) Generation of employment: Women entrepreneur

in India are playing an important role in generating
employment both directly and indirectly. By setting up
small scale industries, they offer jobs to people.

Social Contribution: Women entrepreneurs are also

contributing towards improving the balanced regional
development and improvement of living standards in
the country

i)Balanced Regional Development: Women

entrepreneurs in India to remove regional disparities in
economic development. They set up industries in
backward areas to avail of the resources concessions
and subsidies offered by government.

Ii) Improvement in living standards: With the setting

up of small scale industries, reduction of scarcity of
essential commodities and introducing new products
can be achieved. Women entrepreneurs in this country
are producing variety of goods on a large scale and
offering them at low rates, as a result, achieving
improvement in the standard of life.

iii) Innovation: Innovation is the key to

entrepreneurship. It implies the commercial
application of an invention. As an innovator, the
entrepreneur assumes the role of a pioneer and an
industrial leader. Entrepreneurs have contributed
many innovations in the developing new products and
in the existing products and services. All these have
resulted in economic development by way of
generating employment, more income etc.,

Other contributions: Women entrepreneurs are the

main actresses in charging the culture of the society. In
our country, women are workaholics and participate
outside the house and develop the sense of
independence and the like. Thus women entrepreneurs
in our country are directly or indirectly playing an
important role in environmental protection, back ward
and forward integration and are acting as charge
agents, thus contributing to the economic growth of
the country.

Top 5 women entreprenuers in india

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Billionaire businesswoman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is
the founder and executive chairperson of Biocon. This
first-generation entrepreneur started her biotechnology
company in 1978 from a rented garage. This 69-year-
old is today counted among India's richest with an
estimated net worth of Rs 29,000 crore.
Falguni Nayar,
is the founder and CEO of the beauty and lifestyle retail
company Nykaa. She ranked second on the Kotak-
Hurun list of India's wealthiest women of 2021 with an
estimated net worth of over Rs 57,000 crore.
Ela Bhatt
Fondly known as the 'gentle revolutionary, Ela Bhatt,
88, is the founder of the Self-Employed Women's
Association (SEWA), a trade union of self-employed
women textile workers. She worked at the grassroot
level to elevate women empowerment
Vani Kola
Founder and managing director of early stage venture
capital firm Kalaari Capital, Vani Kola is an established
name in the world of business. A serial entrepreneur,
Kola returned to India in 2006 after a successful 22-
year career in the Silicon Valley.
Radhika Ghai Aggarwal
The co-founder of online marketplace ShopClues is
now focussing on her second venture - Kindlife, an
online marketplace for organic products.
CONCLUSON
In this golden age of globalization, digitalization and
start-up booms, India is clearly seeing a revolution vis-
à-vis women entrepreneurs. Today’s women
entrepreneurs do not come only from the established
business families or from the higher-income sections of
the population, they come from all walks of life and
from all parts of the country.
From running sports media firms to construction
companies and security and detective agencies, women
are dabbling into fields that have traditionally been
bastions of male domination.
The role of women in our society has changed
drastically in the past few decades and for the better.
Women are now occupying the corporate positions
previously regarded as masculine and are outpacing
their male counterparts in some areas. The gender
stereotypes which were more prevalent in the society
decades ago are breaking slowly.
Women today are the proud owners of giant
business chains which they are managing
extremely well moving abreast with their male
counterparts and, undoubtedly outshining
them. Women entrepreneurs make significant
contributions to economic growth and to
poverty reduction around the world.