Entrepreneurship is a powerful catalyst for economic development and a vital pathway to women’s empowerment. Globally, women own between 25% to 33% of all businesses. In India alone, there are 13.5 to 15.7 million women-led enterprises, making up 20% of all businesses and generating employment for 25 to 28 million people.

However, women entrepreneurs face distinct challenges—limited access to funding, mentorship, markets, and networks, compounded by deep-rooted societal biases. These systemic barriers call for tailored, gender-responsive interventions to help women-led businesses thrive and scale.

Let’s Talk: The What, Why, and How!

From budget deficits and geopolitical instability to rising living costs and climate threats, 2025 is marked by global uncertainty. AI is reshaping industries, markets are volatile, and projections feel less reliable than ever.

Yet amid this turbulence lies a powerful opportunity: the rise of women-led businesses.

Founded in 2017, Billennium Divas Private Limited is a global community of womenpreneurs and changemakers, dedicated to fostering inclusive growth and equitable progress.

Women-led enterprises are not only resilient — they are drivers of innovation, job creation, and social impact. According to the IFC and World Bank, achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship could add US$5–6 trillion to global GDP. These businesses are also six times more likely to employ women, making them critical pillars of stability and inclusion in today’s uncertain world.

“Having a successful business gives me the freedom to express my ideas about how I want to show up in the world,” says Glory Enyinnaya, Founder of Kleos Africa. Economic equality for women isn’t just an ideal — it’s a human right.

Yet today, women own only 1 in 3 businesses globally (World Bank). Despite progress in innovation and entrepreneurship, women-led startups still lag behind — particularly in access to funding, mentorship, markets, and networks.

India is no exception. Systemic barriers and societal biases continue to hold many women entrepreneurs back, even as their businesses drive innovation, inclusive employment, and economic resilience.

At the current pace, it could take 150 years to achieve economic parity.