Why women are still under-represented in the startup ecosystem and what needs to change
By Professor Rowena Barrett, Executive Director QUT Entrepreneurship
You can’t be it, if you can’t see it.
I was reminded of this call-to-action at a startup pitch event in July.
There were seven people on the judging panel but only one was a woman — and not even an entrepreneur.
The event organisers were swiftly called out for their lack of diversity by those in attendance but this under-representation of women on the panel speaks to a larger problem in the global startup ecology.
Startup Genome’s 2017 Global Startup Ecosystem report found only 16 per cent of the world’s startup founders were women.
Australia fares a little better, Startup Muster estimating 24 per cent of the nation’s startup founders in 2016 were women, up from 17 per cent the year before.
While the growth of female participation in the ecosystem is encouraging, barriers still exist.
BEHAVIOURAL BARRIERS
Many women have grown up with strong expectations about the role they should play in society, particularly when it comes to family expectations. Whether we agree or not, the prevailing cultural norm is that a woman’s responsibilities often differ to a man’s and, as a majority, women remain primary caregivers for children. Entrepreneurship requires confidence, passion and self-belief to step away from these traditional roles and tread a less certain, less traditional path.
BEHAVIOURAL SOLUTIONS
Storytelling has a huge role to play in sparking confidence and encouraging women to step out of their expected roles and step into the startup space. If you’ve never heard of a female entrepreneur and all you ever hear about are the successes of men, then how do you know what’s possible? Those stories that celebrate female entrepreneurs do exist in abundance. We have a responsibility to find them and amplify them.
STRUCTURAL BARRIERS
The entrepreneurial ecosystem, as it stands, can be surprisingly inflexible. Let’s take, as an example, a startup accelerator program. The most prevalent model is for an intensive and structured program — usually full-time, delivered over a consecutive block of weeks or months, based in one location. Now, imagine you’re a mother from Charleville and the best accelerator program is in Brisbane. How do you juggle financial, family and community responsibilities and relocate for months at a time to attend?
STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS
The onus is on organisations and program co-ordinators to address and overhaul their processes and procedures. Devise a checklist for inclusion and work to it when planning a program or event. Consider best practice and inclusivity and keep it front of mind rather than tacking it on as an after-thought. This should be implemented across the board; beyond female representation, inclusion should extend to those with disability, from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and from remote and rural areas.
CULTURAL BARRIERS
If we pointed women towards the current entrepreneurial ecosystem and asked: “Who do you see that looks like you?” we would come up short. At QUT, our students represent a diverse cross-section of ages, ethnicities and genders and need to see themselves reflected in their teachers and advisors to engage and grow. You can’t be one if you can’t see one.
CULTURAL SOLUTIONS
Role-modelling is key. Finding women to spotlight might mean thinking more broadly about entrepreneurship. We often focus on it being a profit-making venture but there are plenty of women who dominate the for-purpose sector and who use their entrepreneurial skills to create change. Think of someone like Rosie Batty, for example. She, and others like her are incredibly entrepreneurial in how they gather resources, reach their target market and make change which is of value to others. That’s entrepreneurship.
While 24 per cent participation nationally and 16 per cent globally is dispiriting, I remain buoyed by optimism.
I can see female representation growing. I can see a growing consciousness of the issue.
No one solution will work in isolation but rather, real change will come when the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem joins forces to declare that this is not just a woman’s problem.
This is a problem that must be addressed by everyone, whether male or female; a founder or a facilitator.
You can’t be it, if you can’t see it.