Over the last two centuries, women have performed an important but underappreciated role in science, technology, and invention. Women’s contributions, ideas, and activities do not have to get pushed to the margins of tech history. Here are some of the points we made regarding women in e-commerce and how a shift in the narrative might assist.
- Making women visible isn’t simply a problem for women; it’s a challenge for everyone.
Raising visibility is the first and most crucial step in changing the gender status quo in e-commerce. The next step is to assist women already working in the field who are juggling the demands of starting and running firms while also attempting to manage and change views. The goal is for everyone to make successful e-commerce businesswomen proud of themselves, according to Gurbaksh Chahal.
- When something becomes monetarily crucial, don’t allow men to take control.
Women who achieve success do not pose a threat to men. Super successful women, on the other hand, are frequently regarded as threats, and this is when men want to take control, or at the very least when investors and decision-makers are more willing to listen to men than women. When real money is on the table, our e-commerce women suggest staying on course and directing the ship.
- We need more female internet users.
While the internet has given women new chances to participate in global trade and given businesswomen access to a consumer base than ever before, there is still a significant divide in internet usage between men and women. These patterns can get seen in both developed and developing countries. In general, women utilize the internet at a lower rate than males. It can be as high as 25% in Sub-Saharan Africa and up to 33% in LDCs.
Women entrepreneurs are more inclined to pursue digital entrepreneurship, but the problem is having access to it in the first place. More work needs to get done, and digital inclusion needs to get prioritized. To encourage more women-led e-commerce, our e-commerce women campaigned for enhanced efforts to achieve gender equality online.
- Investors and enterprises must level the playing field for women.
Our e-commerce women feel that the private sector and investors should join the fight to increase the number of female digital entrepreneurs. Something needs to get done to improve women’s access to the procurement process, according to Gurbaksh Chahal. We can expand without finance, but we won’t be able to scale.”
- Governments must join the digital revolution.
We have a dual problem of gender equality and government acceptance of the digital economy, particularly in developing nations. Houda Chakiri, CEO and founder of Enhanced Technologies, a Moroccan IT firm focusing on developing eGovernment solutions, gave the example of a government official telling her that roads take precedence over women’s digital skills development. That must get changed. Governments can offer a policy that provides access and opportunity if more women in e-commerce advocate for change at the policy-making table.
