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International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day: why it matters now more than ever

In a world where innovation, courage and consistency are increasingly valuable, women’s entrepreneurship stands out as a transformative force. It is not only about starting businesses, but about claiming space, building alternatives, challenging systems and creating paths where there were once only closed doors. On 19 November, we celebrate not just a date, but a global movement powered by women who believe in the power of ideas once they finally reach the world.

Being a woman and an entrepreneur is, in itself, an act of courage

International Women’s Entrepreneurship Day exists to highlight an uncomfortable truth: becoming an entrepreneur as a woman still requires resilience, bravery and a daily dose of reinvention. It is not a matter of lacking talent, vision or strategic ability. What is missing is access. Opportunity. Recognition.

Even so, women continue to transform markets, build relevant businesses and define new standards of leadership.

Why this day is so necessary

The challenges are familiar to many:

Less access to investment, even when delivering stronger metrics.
Double and triple shifts, especially when motherhood enters the equation.
Underrepresentation in strategic and decision-making roles.

On the other hand:

Women-led businesses are more resilient.
When they receive investment, they grow faster.
Teams led by women make more innovative and consistent decisions.

In other words: when women thrive, the entire value chain thrives with them.

Women’s entrepreneurship is not about gender. It is about the future.

To be an entrepreneur is to create what does not yet exist. It is to take strategic risks. It is to transform chaos into clarity.
And few people embody this art as powerfully as the women who reinvent careers, balance multiple roles and build businesses grounded in purpose, impact and consistency.

Women’s entrepreneurship does not exist to compete. It exists to rebalance.
To bring the perspectives that were missing.
To expand the market’s capacity for innovation.

This is not inspirational rhetoric.
It is strategy.

And corporate results prove it.

When we look at major companies led by women, we see that this shift in leadership does more than inspire – it produces concrete financial outcomes.

Indra Nooyi led one of the most emblematic transformations in PepsiCo’s history during her 12 years at the helm. Under her leadership, the company repositioned its portfolio, strengthened its sustainability pillars and achieved approximately 80 percent revenue growth, according to analysis by the Financial Express.
Mary Barra took over General Motors during one of the most challenging chapters in the company’s history and redefined the automaker’s global strategy, driving innovation, safety and organisational culture. Since then, GM has consistently outperformed market expectations in several quarters, as highlighted in a special report by Quarterdeck.
Academic research shows that among Brazilian companies listed on B3, those with greater gender diversity on their boards demonstrate stronger financial performance and lower operational risk. This pattern was identified in studies conducted by researchers at UFRGS, reinforcing that diversity is not an identity agenda, it is a strategic one.
Female representation in senior leadership in Brazil has been growing, albeit slowly. The number of women CEOs has nearly doubled in recent years, and participation in executive roles has reached 34 percent, according to a comprehensive Bain & Company report published by TI Inside.
On the global stage, progress remains modest: only around 6 percent of the world’s CEOs are women — a number that reveals the scale of both the opportunity and the challenge. This data comes from Deloitte’s long-running global study Women in the Boardroom, which has tracked the topic for more than a decade.

What we celebrate on this day

We celebrate:

Women who lead without asking for permission.
Mothers who build businesses between meetings, nap schedules, school runs and invoices.
Founders who build real businesses with method and impact.
Leaders who transform environments through the simple courage of taking up space.

And we celebrate the future:
the generation of girls who will grow up knowing they can do anything, including becoming entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship built on method, not magic

Ideas only create value when they leave your head and enter the world.
And that demands method. Clarity. Structure. Process. Community. Governance. Strategy.

Female entrepreneurship is not a romantic tale.
It is built on discipline, continuous learning and a safe space to experiment.

When women receive the right support, their businesses scale, innovate and generate real impact.

How to support women entrepreneurs in practice

Hire women.
Buy from women.
Recommend women.
Invest in women.
Give them platforms, space and visibility.
Question your biases and change your behaviours.

Structural change begins with individual choices.

Let this day be more than a date

Let it be a quiet yet powerful reminder:
women are not simply becoming entrepreneurs, they are redefining how we innovate, lead and create value.

Those who fail to understand this now will be left behind.

The future belongs to those who dare to create new possibilities.
And women are creating many.

How Devovea strengthens Women’s Entrepreneurship

Women’s entrepreneurship thrives when women have access to clarity, method, strategy and qualified support. That is exactly where Devovea comes in: helping women leaders, executives and founders turn vision into real impact.

Devovea was born from the belief that good ideas only reach the world when they find structure, direction and the courage to happen. Over the past years, we have supported women who want to launch products, scale businesses, break free from strategic paralysis or simply find their own rhythm as leaders.

How Devovea supports women who lead and build

Career and Leadership Mentoring: For women who want to grow without losing themselves in the process. A space for clarity, strategy, mental organisation and conscious decision making.
CPO-as-a-Service e Consultoria Estratégica: Para empreendedoras que precisam estruturar produto, foco, posicionamento, roadmap e diferenciação – sem carregar tudo sozinhas. É a liderança de produto na prática, adaptada à realidade do negócio.
Executive Advisory for Founders: Monthly sessions for women who want to refine strategy, discuss critical decisions, organise priorities, correct course and accelerate growth with clarity, ease and method.
Blueprint and Business Architecture for Digital Commerce: For founders who want to launch or scale online shops, platforms, digital services or marketplaces with technical confidence and long-term vision.

Why all of this matters

Women’s entrepreneurship does not flourish in improvisation. It flourishes where there is:

context, not pressure
method, not chaos
strategy, not overload
company, not loneliness
clarity, not noise

Devovea exists for this:
To help women make the new happen with consistency, courage and real impact.

If you are a woman leading a business, a product or an idea that deserves to reach the world, consider this an open invitation: you do not have to walk alone.

Camilla Lichti
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Sources:

Financial Express: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/industry-under-indra-nooyis-tenure-pepsicos-revenue-grown-by-more-than-80-per-cent-1271652/
Quarterdeck: https://quarterdeck.co.uk/articles/what-leadership-style-is-mary-barra/
MS Perlin Research: https://msperlin.com/publication/2021_gm-boards/
TI Inside: https://tiinside.com.br/en/26/02/2025/numero-de-mulheres-ceos-dobra-no-brasil-mas-representatividade-ainda-e-desafio-aponta-pesquisa/
Deloitte (via ES Hoje): https://eshoje.com.br/geral/2024/07/mulheres-sao-apenas-6-em-cargos-de-ceo-no-mundo-aponta-pesquisa/

Ready to take the next step?

Let’s turn your idea into real impact

If you are leading a business, a team or a vision that deserves to reach the world, Devovea can walk alongside you. We offer consultancy, advisory, mentoring and tailored strategies designed to support leaders, founders and women entrepreneurs who want clarity, focus and sustainable growth.
Let’s talk about where you are on your journey and explore together the service that best supports your next chapter.

Talk to Devovea

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