A recent post on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network (HBR) explores behaviors of women that can hold them back in the professional arena. The article cites studies which show that only half of women display high self-confidence while the other half admit to feelings of self-doubt regarding their performance. This lack of confidence translates into a reluctance to apply for jobs or promotions.

The article lists four ways women unintentionally sabotage the development of their careers. Included on the list are being overly modest, a reluctance to ask for help or about new opportunities, trying to blend in, and remaining silent instead of speaking up and adding to the discussion. All of these actions can lead to being overlooked in the workplace when a new job opens up or it is time for a promotion. Not necessarily due to a lack of ability, but because managers are not aware of their female employees’ capabilities. Continue reading ‘How Confidence Affects Women’ »

Forbes Magazine recently released its annual list of the World’s Most Powerful Women and with nearly half of this year’s power women coming from the business sector, an increase of over last year’s 39, businesswomen are proving to be a force to reckon with.

There were in fact several changes to the 2011 list, including new additions and higher rankings of returning power women, but one thing that has not changed much is the presence, or lack thereof, of businesswomen from emerging markets. Of the 49 businesswomen on Forbes’ list, a mere seven stem from emerging markets, and similar to last year only one, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, is an entrepreneur.
Continue reading ‘What’s Missing from the 2011 World’s Most Powerful Women List?’ »

Palestinian Territories – CIPE partner the Business Women Forum (BWF) hosted a networking event on March 29 in Ramallah under the patronage of the Palestinian Minister of the National Economy, H.E Dr. Hassan Abu Libdeh. The event, which included over 80 attendees and representatives from local and national government, was part of an ongoing effort by BWF to form strategic partnerships with key private sector civil society organizations in Palestine. Minister Abu Libdeh highlighted BWF’s success in advancing the participation of women in Palestine’s policy and decision-making process, despite the Forum’s relatively recent establishment. BWF Chairwoman Amal Masri discussed the importance of strengthening the role of businesswomen as leaders in the Palestinian economy through advocacy activities, networking, and the provision of business services.

Kim Bettcher
CIPE

Comment here or share a message with the Community of Women Entrepreneurs: partners@cipe.org

Among the 100 most powerful women in the world according to Forbes, 39 are businesswomen, 8 of whom are businesswomen from emerging markets: Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, India, China, and Kuwait. The overall list–which includes politicians, media personalities, fashion designers, singers, and athletes–has only a handful of entrepreneurs, and I could find only one entrepreneur from emerging markets. She is Maha Al-Ghunaim, cofounder of Global Investment House in Kuwait.

This kind of list only shows the tip of the iceberg, but it’s interesting to see how women of various backgrounds around the world are attracting attention.

Continue reading ‘Forbes Most Powerful Women’ »