Even though women have contributed to economic productivity since the dawn of history, the phrase women in business typically describes the more modern phenomenon of women participating in the traditionally male work roles of industrial manufacturing, finance, and corporate ownership.

Women hold significant and diverse roles in corporations, such as:

• Shareholders and investors
• Pension fund
  Pension
  In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
  
   and institutional money managers
• Customers and vendors
• Community leaders
• Executive officer
  Executive officer
  An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
  
  s
• Board members

Given the projected talent deficit that will follow the retirement of millions of so-called 'Baby Boomer' managers and executives over the next 20 years , women leaders may invariably be seen by an increasing number of employers as an untapped source of talent, experience and senior-management leadership .

Statistics

According to the National Association of Corporate Directors, companies that have women on their boards generate value to their corporations by broadening market vision, enhancing board dynamics, inspiring female stockholders and improving corporate reputation.

According to the 2005 Catalyst Census of Women Board of Directors

Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

, 14.7% of all board seats in the Fortune 500 list are occupied by women. While the number of women on Fortune 500

Fortune 500

The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...

 corporate boards continues to rise, the average rate of increase is only one-half of one percent per year.. One in nine in the Fortune 500 list still doesn't have any women on their board.
Women oversee 83 percent of direct consumer spending

Consumer spending

Consumer spending or consumer demand or consumption is also known as personal consumption expenditure. It is the largest part of aggregate demand or effective demand at the macroeconomic level...

, own half of all public stock, and make up more than fifty percent of the talent pool.

Coaching and mentoring

Increasingly, business women seeking career advancement take advantage of the coaching and mentoring offered by other successful women. Some writers and speakers, such as Suze Orman

Suze Orman

Susan "Suze" Lynn Orman is an American financial advisor, author, motivational speaker, and television host.Orman was born in Chicago and received her B.A. in social work. She worked as a waitress in Berkeley, California before becoming a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch...

 and Sonja Buholzer

Sonja Buholzer

Sonja A. Buholzer is a bestselling Swiss writer specializing in management consulting and business coaching. She is a professional keynote speaker and a widely-known coach who especially focuses on the role of and opportunity for women in career positions. She is the adviser of business leaders...

, pitch a message of financial empowerment for women.

Women as entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship is the path to job creation and income generation, reducing inequalities among men and women. And in many emerging economies women are now starting business at a faster rate than men, making significant contributions to job creation and economy growth.
yet, a disproportionate share of women-owned business in developing countries today are micro, small or medium enterprises. Often they do not mature. This has negative for growth and poverty reduction. Understanding the specific barriers women's business face and providing solutions to adress theam are necessary for countries tu further leverage the economic power of women for growth and the attainment of development goals.

Women as Employees

As employees, women are an economic forces across emerging markets. Yet smart employment practices that enhance productivity while creating the right working conditions appropriate to their specific situation are often overlooked. Women make up 40 percent of the world's work force today, and many of the sectors critical for economic growth in some of the poorest countries rely heavily on women employees, such as agribusiness, tourisme, textiles and garments, and others.

External links

• Small Business Admin