Izarbel
Technocité
Arkinova
ID Ocean
18 September 2020
Female entrepreneurship: an uphill struggle for women
Women represent half of the workforce, but only 30% set up companies. Associations are rallying around on the ground so that women can take their place as entrepreneurs.
What does female entrepreneurship look like in the region? Published in March 2019, the INSEE’s report for Nouvelle-Aquitaine gives a bit of an insight. Around a third of companies (excluding micro-businesses) are created by women, who are often more qualified and younger than their male counterparts. They operate mainly in the services sector (retail, health, domestic work, administrative services, and support functions for companies). While they have the same success rates as men (around two-thirds of companies are still in operation five years down the line), the consistent under-representation of women means the gender parity target set for 2020 continues to be unachievable. This target was set by the regional business initiative programme for women headed by the French government, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region and the Caisse des Dépôts (state-run French trade export outfit).
Growing in confidence
“The INSEE figures are pretty much the same year on year. Women continue to represent 30% of new businesses, and 40% of micro-businesses,” Marie-Pierre Arrieta confirmed. Marie-Pierre Arrieta is the cofounder and coordinator of Andere Nahia (meaning women’s resolve in the Basque language).
Created 20 years ago and based in Itxassou, every year, this association supports around a hundred women with their business project, focusing on personalised support and mutual aid. “We support all women who want to create or resume a business, all in a spirit of sisterhood, and a group, collective and partnership spirit.”
“Our strength lies in helping women gain confidence in their ability to set up a business and unlocking their potential, using the experience of our members,” the head of development at Andere Nahia, Linda Rieu added. Having belief in yourself is often the first obstacle for women, particularly those who were employees up until then. “We have a lot of women who are changing careers. But it’s not as simple as clicking your fingers to switch from being an employee in a vertical organisation to becoming an entrepreneur. This change in mindset comes with time and effort,” Marie-Pierre Arrieta added.
It’s a change that Virginie Belzanne went through. After 15 years as an employee in sales management, administration and human resources, she took the plunge and created her office management company. “I no longer felt that I fit into the system, so I thought about offering my services as a freelancer. I was not entirely convinced, but attending a mutual aid group proved very liberating. I slowly grew in confidence, and I realised that I was capable of going very far,” Virginie explained. She splits her time between her customers and the association.
Equal opportunities
Creating a company is a real uphill struggle, but perhaps even more so for women as you have to have self-confidence, work even harder, and overcome obstacles.
“Being a woman entrepreneur is more complicated in France. In addition to all the constraints, it’s the women themselves who hold themselves back. Many of my students don’t make it through to the end of their vocational training, or cannot see how to reconcile life as a businesswoman with that of motherhood,” Cécile Borg said with dismay. As an accounting professor at the IUT in Bayonne, and the founder and manager of the Socoex accounting firm (with eight employees), Cécile is one of very few women who are auditors. She also heads the Basque branch of the FCE association, the oldest network of female entrepreneurs in France, whose role is to raise awareness of entrepreneurship and professional equality amongst the young.
“You can learn about entrepreneurship from an early age. Action must be taken in schools. We must stop stigmatising girls from pre-school right up to university, so that everyone, men and women, has the same opportunities.” Committed to getting the voice of women entrepreneurs heard in employer mandates, the FCE Pays Basque association is also creating support and mutual aid links between businesswomen.
“It’s very important to overcome the feeling of isolation. When you’re a woman, you have to have a lot of energy and drive to put clichés to rest. Women entrepreneurs are highly resolute; they are resilient in the face of work and see things through to the very end. Obstacles merely serve to give us strength. We don’t give up.”
Dedicated funding
There’s still much to be done for women entrepreneurship to be on the same footing as that of men – funding not least of all.
“It’s true to say that women experience more difficulties in finding a willing ear when it comes to banks. The approach to creating a business often goes via forecasts. It’s an exercise that can prove difficult, and one that we demystify in our workshops,” Marie Pierre Arrieta from Andere Nahia confirmed.
On a national level, there are two times as many rejections for bank loan applications filed by women entrepreneurs than men (source: OpinionWay study on behalf of the Foundation Entreprendre and Axa, 2017). In light of these difficulties in accessing resources, there are several schemes available to assist female entrepreneurs financially. They include the women’s equality guarantee Garantie Egalité Femmes (formerly the Fonds de Garantie à l’Initiative des Femmes (FGIF)) offered by the France Active organisation. This organisation acts as a guarantor for loans taken out by women entrepreneurs. There are also competitions and prizes dedicated to female entrepreneurs, as well as local initiatives such as the CLEFE. The CLEFE is a system of micro-credits specifically for women that is managed by the economic development association Hemen in the French Basque Country. These types of financial support can prove decisive when it comes to getting a business idea off the ground.
Women’s networks in the French Basque Country
There are many women’s networks in the French Basque Country to share experiences, mutually support one another, get assistance, open up new horizons, and take time to have a breather. Overview.
Andere Nahia
Established in 2001 by female entrepreneurs, Andere Nahia assists women who are going self-employed. Based in Itxassou, where it manages the Habia coworking space, Andere Nahia constructively supports women entrepreneurs who in turn have the support of the fifty or so members in the association. Andere Nahia also participates in initiatives that tackle professional gender equality, such as being a mumpreneur or the issue of equality in the world of agriculture. Similarly, the association is involved in the "Entreprendre la Région à vos côtés" regional programme to assist women entrepreneurs. All female entrepreneurs in the French Basque Country and the Sud-Aquitain can contact the association.
Femmes Chefs d’Entreprise Pays Basque
The oldest network of women entrepreneurs (established in 1945), now present on all five continents, has had a branch in the Basque Country for 25 years. Headed by Cécile Borg, the FCE Pays Basque holds a meeting each month on a given topic for its forty-strong members. It is also involved in the Inter Réseaux Pays Basque network and local economic networks. Membership is upon application and is reserved for female entrepreneurs (not micro-businesses).
www.fcefrance.com/delegation/pays-basque-pyrenees-atlantiques
Diriger au Féminin
Established in 2005 by Nilda Jurado, the Diriger au Féminin association brings together more than 80 female entrepreneurs and businesswomen in the French Basque Country. Its members meet every month to discuss a given topic. Membership is based on a referral.
Les Simones du Boudoir
This women’s network was created in 2014 in Biarritz under the direction of Delphine Franiau, a marketing and communications consultant who set up a similar structure in Paris. Les Simones du Boudoir unites 45 members, women entrepreneurs as well as self-employed professionals, female employees, those out work, and so on. It aims to give an outlet for women to take a step back from their day-to-day lives through monthly meetings (talk by a speaker, film debates, etc.) and to allow its members to grow their network.
Femmes 3000 Pays Basque
Created in 1998, the federation Femmes 3000, is committed to promoting the role of women in public, economic and social life by championing their skills and business projects. The association has an office in the French Basque Country and is presided by Flora Rousseau.
femmes3000.org/blog-pays-basque
Féminin Pluriel
Féminin Pluriel is a not-for-profit association that brings together women from diverse backgrounds (female entrepreneurs, artists, self-employed professionals, and businesswomen). Established in Paris by Béatrice Lanson-Villat, Sophie de Menthon and Capucine de Fouquières in 1992, the network has now spread to several countries and regions, including the Basque Country. Fostering a spirit of mutual aid and sharing experiences between members, this network is a deliberately exclusive one; members enter upon referral only. The club holds monthly lunch events and meetings with inspiring figures.
femininpluriel.org/club/feminin-pluriel-basque-coast-i-france
21 September 2020
