WUNRN

http://www.wunrn.com

 

http://www.womenofchina.cn/html/womenofchina/report/15090074-1.htm

 

China – Stereotypes Still Linger Among Female Entrepreneurs - Survey

 

Editor: Kate Wu – September 1, 2015

 

Survey: Stereotypes Still Linger Among Female Entrepreneurs

Graph showing the age group, degrees of education, professional titles and scales of business of women entrepreneurs in China’s business hub Guangdong [Guangzhou Daily]

The traditional gender stereotype still remains an obstacle for women who want to develop their own businesses, according to the latest survey.

Whilst believing that they can do as well as men in terms of career, nearly 60 percent of entrepreneurial women in China's business hub Guangdong share the view that helping their husbands develop a business matters more than pursuing their own endeavor.

The survey results, released by the Guangdong Association of Women Entrepreneurs on August 31, show that businesswomen in the southern province typically have higher levels of education than average. Nearly 69 percent hold degrees from junior college or above, compared to 15 percent found among other local females.

In spite of the high education, they pay great attention to further study, especially in modern enterprise management. The survey showed some 79 percent of them pursued further study. Of them, 52 percent joined either EMBA or MBA courses, up 18 percentage points from in 2004. Around 17 percent studied further overseas.

Although some 98 percent of women in the province believe that couples are independent of each other and should give equal mutual support, 95 percent hold the idea that women can do whatever men can achieve, whilst 58 percent endorse the idea that it is more important to help their husbands rather than pursue their own independent career start-up plans. Just under half agree that men and women should retire at the same age.

Such concepts are the results of their awareness that men and women are not equal in reality, analysts said.

Around 96 percent of the businesswomen pointed out that female entrepreneurs have to sacrifice more for success than men, and 82 percent said women are often faced with the conflicts between family affairs and career.

These figures show that women still face the pinch of the traditional stereotype that confines them to family responsibilities despite their confidence in doing a good job.

The respondents of the survey averaged 45 years old, ranging from 23 to 68.

Nearly 80 percent of them operate privately-run enterprises. Nearly 90 percent manage small and medium businesses.

The respondents came from various sectors, but are mostly concentrated in manufacturing, wholesale, retail and domestic services. More than half of the enterprises are labor intensive and only 22 percent are technology intensive. Among those women, the percentage of companies they own which are in the finance and IT sectors stands at a tiny 5.6 percent.

Over a half of them have a clear position and development plan for their companies. Some 73 percent have built new brand names, while 66 percent possess trademarks.

They are also actively engaged in public and political affairs, with a majority of them joining social organizations. Around 25 percent of them are members of the Communist Party of China, a rise of 21 percentage points from the figure in 2004. Some 25 percent act as deputies of the local or national committee of the National People's Congress and members of the local or national committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Congress, up 20 percent from 2004.

The women respondents yearn for more capital resources to further business development and technical innovation, according to the report.

(Source: Guangzhou Daily/Translated and edited by Women of China)