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Women in Business: Now’s Your Time to Shine

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Working women are getting a little help and support from some of the biggest names in the business world. Let’s take a look at who these corporate giants are and how they’re empowering women to soar higher than ever in their careers.

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(Photo Credit: JD Hancock/Flickr)

When women first started out on their quest for gender equality, the journey seemed impossible, given the biases against them in the work world. However, in recent years, women have proven their worth with hard work, dedication, and perseverance. The numbers show more female leaders at top-ranking companies than ever before. 

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A UC Davis study, which surveyed the state of California women business leaders, showed that among “California’s 400 biggest companies, 5.5 percent (22 companies) have three or more women on the board,” according to a Women 2.0 article. Companies such as Wells Fargo, Walt Disney Company, Cisco Systems, and Google topped the list. We’re not talking “mom and pop” shops, people. These are the corporations that are considered leaders in their various industries, and they understand that having a woman (or several women) at the helm is advantageous for business.

Coca-Cola Company launched its #5by20 campaign, which is “a global commitment to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs across the company’s value chain [from fruit farmers to artisans] by 2020,” according to the company’s website. Coca-Cola’s crusade spans across 12 countries worldwide, and it was estimated that, at the end of 2012, roughly “300,000 women were impacted in total through the initiative.” To see exactly what the #5by20 campaign is accomplishing for women entrepreneurs around the world, check out this infographic here.

Ladies, if you’re wondering whether now’s your chance to take that leap of entrepreneurial faith, or time to dust off that degree and re-emerge into the business world, then the answer is, “Definitely!” Not only are women-in-business initiatives and groups cropping up all over, studies show that ladies are good for business — yes, as in, you being a woman adds value to the company’s bottom line in more ways than one. Here’s a bit of fascinating information from American Express OPEN’s 2013 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report:

As of 2013, it is estimated that there are over 8.6 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating over $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.8 million people. The growth in the number, revenues and employment of women-owned firms over the past 16 years exceeds the growth rates of all but the very largest, publicly traded corporations in the country.

Women have more support, encouragement, resources, and options than ever before in the business world, so there’s no excuse not to go after the careers of their dreams right now. Read more about how the male-dominant tech industry could greatly benefit from hiring women, here.

What are you waiting for, ladies? Now’s the time to put on your parachute and JUMP!

Tell Us What You Think

How do you think having more women in leading roles can help an organization? Share your thoughts on Twitter or in the comments section below.

Leah Arnold-Smeets
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