women and self-employment

Self-employment is one of the fastest growing areas of employment for women and women entrepreneurs are particularly influential in the small business economy. The number of self-employed women has nearly tripled over the last 20 years. Eighty-five percent report the desire for more challenging work as the most important factor in becoming self-employed. Women in rural areas, where employment is limited, are more likely than urban women to be self-employed.

Women are much more likely than men to be “own account” self-employed, meaning that they are not employers. Own account workers face greater economic vulnerability. The majority do not have private insurance plans, cannot access EI leaves and benefits, and use personal finances to invest in their businesses. Some companies contract workers rather than hire them, so that the own account worker absorbs the costs of equipment and benefits.
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recognizing the role of women entrepreneurs in ontario's economy

Almost half of Canadian small and medium businesses are owned by women. In 2003, the Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs set out policy recommendations that will ensure the continued success of  entrepreneurial initiatives by women. The federal and provincial governments have recently established the Network for Women Entrepreneurs, a program administered by the Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre (COBSC). In addition, MTCU has inherited the Self-Employment Benefits program that provides self-employment training to unemployed individuals from the federal government through the LMDA. At the same time, MTCU also inherited the eligibility requirements of this program, meaning that individuals must be receiving EI or received EI in the last five years to access self-employment training. >more

Rural Outreach Program Endeavor
(Women's Own Resource Centre, South River, Ontario)

For seven years, the Rural Outreach Program Endeavour (ROPE) program has successfully trained women entrepreneurs in North Eastern Ontario. ROPE promotes self employment as a way to overcome limited local economies. The specialized program consists of three workshop series delivered by a mobile unit that travels to rural locations. Notably, this program focuses on sustainable living through budgeting and planning, with attention to work-life balance, which are key issues for small business entrepreneurs. The program also provides financial supports for child care and transportation to expand its accessibility to remotely located participants and mothers of young children. Mentoring by program graduates and partnerships with the private sector work expand participants’ networks and ground program content in the realities of small business and self-employment. >more

MTCU’s Transition Projects: Stakeholder Involvement
MTCU has a number of "Transition Projects" in the works. providing an opportunity for community stakeholders to participate in the design and implementation of Employment Ontario, either through ACTEW or another SDAG member group, or by directly participating in a project working/reference group. >more

Colour of Poverty Campaign Launched
A new campaign has been launched called the Colour of Poverty. The province-wide community-based campaign aims to promote an understanding of how poverty arises within or impacts upon racialized groups, and ways, tools and strategies for people to work toward equity and inclusion in Ontario. >more

Trades Program for Women Profiled in Toronto Star
The Toronto Star profiled a unique women's-only program in residential heating and air conditioning systems installation and repair at George Brown College. The program is designed to train at-risk women for an in-demand trade -- in this case, to graduate with a gas technician III license, which would allow women to enter the workforce directly or continue apprenticeship towards a licensed trade.
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Facts

• Approximately 1 in 10 Canadian women are self-employed. (1)

• As of 2003, Canadian women entrepreneurs were contributing more than $18.109 billion to the Canadian economy each year. (2)

• Women entrpreneurs held ownership in 45% of Canadian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in 2000. (3)

• Only 17% of self-employed women make more than $30,000 a year, compared with 42% of men. (2)

• Financial vulnerability may be even more pronounced for members of marginalized communities, especially among immigrant women whom tend to work in sectors of self-employment with lower earnings relative to non-immigrants. (4)

(1) Statistics Canada, 2005.

(2) Self Employed Women Fact Sheet, ACTEW, 2007.

(3) Report and Recommendations, Task Force on Women Entrepreneurs, 2003.

(4) Status of Women Canada, 2003

Questions

How can self employment programs respond to the specific needs of women entrepreneurs. who in turn can fuel Ontario's economy?

How can MTCU, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, and Industry Canada coordinate policies that will best maximize the success of women-owned businesses?

Get Involved

putting women in the picture forum, sarnia

A one-day women's forum co-hosted by ACTEW and the Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board to bring together women’s organizations, agencies and groups to discuss issues pertaining to employment and training of women in Sarnia-Lambton. >more

putting women in the picture forum, brantford

This two-day conference, co-hosted by ACTEW and the Grand Erie Training and Adjustment Board, will bring key community stakeholders from Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk together to explore women's employment needs across the region. >more

Employment Matters: Towards an Integrated Employment and Training System (Kitchener-Waterloo)

A 2-day conference by ONESTEP and CAECO for service providers to learn more about Ontario’s new labour market delivery model. >more

view inFocus archives for analysis on other key issues

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Putting Women in the Picture