Mentorship Needs of Potential Women Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Women around the world are making a significant impact on lives through entrepreneurship. They are not only self-employed but also create employment for others. Yet, there are many areas of improvement, like encouraging them through role models, exposure to influential business networks, providing better support systems such as mentorship & training, and access to financial institutions (GEM, 2021). During pandemic years, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor carried out a study on women entrepreneurship and reported that Indian women entrepreneurs are affected most among all the countries under study, the rate of business closure was found to be the highest among Indian women entrepreneurs. Despite having the third-largest entrepreneurial ecosystem, India lags in women entrepreneurship, it ranks 70th out 77 countries in women entrepreneurship with a score of 25.3, the highest being 82 for the US (Female Entrepreneurship Index, 2015). However, within India few states are setting examples for women entrepreneurship, for instance, Tamil Nadu is at the top of women entrepreneurial activities, followed by Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Maharashtra (6th All India Economic Census, GOI).