Frauen gehen in Führung - Frauen als Unternehmerinnen im Handwerk, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Handwerkskammerbezirks Düsseldorf

This compact study about the role of female company owners in the skilled crafts sector was commissioned by the crafts chamber in Dusseldorf. The share of female company owners has risen in recent years. One out of four crafts companies is headed by a woman, which is lower than the fraction in the overall economy. The main reason for this disparity is the tendency of women to start businesses in the service sector, which is underrepresented in the crafts. Women also tend to be self-employed in smaller companies and they engage in part-time work more frequently than men. On the one hand this enables women to care for children and actively participate in the labor force at the same time. On the other, incomes are generally lower. Women are more risk averse and tend to be more cautious in their entrepreneurial endeavors. They are more likely to bear the double responsibility of company owners as well as caretakers within their own family. Traditional gender roles are still prevalent. At the end of this study there are a number of policy recommendations with regard to the question of how women could be more successfully motivated to become self-employed in the crafts. First of all, traditional gender roles need to be overcome in order to show that women can be successful in traditionally male dominated crafts trades. Entrepreneurship consulting should incorporate gender typical concerns and cater to the specific informational requirements of women. Finally, female entrepreneur networks can support women in their commercial endeavors.