(05.01.2022) Fewer women start a business than men. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Switzerland ranks 20th for the number of women founders or managers of new businesses within the population.
According to the report, "The Missing Entrepreneurs 2021", women in OECD countries are, on average, about two-thirds as likely as men to be working on a start-up or new business. However, there are significant differences across countries. While gender hardly influences the founding of a business in Spain, Japanese, Turkish or Norwegian women are half as likely to start a business.
In Switzerland, the ratio of male to women entrepreneurs is nearly double. The number of women in the population who are active in entrepreneurship is over 5% compared to over 10% of the male population.
When they do become entrepreneurs, women are more likely to be confined to sectors with limited growth potential, particularly personal service sectors. Furthermore, they are less likely to be employers. Only a quarter of women entrepreneurs hire employees, compared to a third of men.
Differences between women and men are also found in both motivation and also risks associated with entrepreneurship. In the OECD report, around 43% of women say that fear of failure prevents them from pursuing their project, compared to 37% of men.
Last modification 05.01.2022
