Every year on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the progress women have made in business, leadership, and financial independence. But there is still one glaring gap that isn’t talked about nearly enough, and that’s wealth.
The data tells us that only 1.9 percent of women-owned businesses are making over $1 million in revenue per year. That means that most women are struggling to get out of survival mode and reach the level of financial freedom and power that true wealth brings.
This isn’t just a women’s issue. When women build million-dollar businesses, the ripple effect is enormous. More jobs get created, more wealth circulates in communities, and more women gain the financial power to fund, mentor, and uplift other women.
Too many women are playing small, underpricing their work, and holding themselves back from building scalable businesses. Whether it’s fear of success, societal conditioning, or lack of access to funding – we need change.
It’s time to change the narrative. Women deserve highly profitable, high-revenue businesses. When more women make millions, everyone wins.
The Wealth Gap for Women Entrepreneurs
Women-owned businesses generate less revenue than those owned by men, and it’s not because women aren’t working just as hard. Despite making up nearly 40 percent of all businesses, women-led companies struggle to scale beyond six figures. The financial barriers that women face isn’t just personal; they’re structural, and baked into the very foundation of business financing, investment, and economic opportunities.
One of the biggest challenges women face is having access to capital. Women receive less than 3 percent of venture capital (VC) funding, making it nearly impossible to compete with male-owned businesses that have the resources to hire, market, and expand aggressively.
It’s not only VC funding where women are challenged. Women are also approved at a lower rate for small business loans and face more scrutiny when seeking investments. Without access to capital that will help women grow their businesses, women are forced to bootstrap their businesses and grow at a slower pace than their male counterparts.
Beyond access to capital, societal conditioning plays a major role in keeping women’s businesses small. Many women have been conditioned with the “enough money” mindset which means that they are focusing more on stability than aggressive wealth building. While men are encouraged to take risk and scale, women are often told to be cautious, grateful for what they have, and hesitant to charge their full worth. This results in underpricing, undervaluing, and an unwillingness to push for bigger financial goals.
Why it’s Crucial for Women to Make Millions
The more money women have, the more they can control their future, make strategic decisions, and have a seat at the table where real change happens. Whether it’s funding other women-led businesses, investing in causes they care about, or driving policy change, financial success allows women to shape industries and economies in ways that go beyond personal gain.
Breaking the cycle of financial limitation starts with women owning their financial power and building businesses that aren’t just sustainable, but they are scalable and make millions of dollars. The world doesn’t need more women just getting by financially – we need more women thriving, leading, and setting new standards for what is possible.
The bottom line is that the future of wealth is female, and we need more women to step into their financial power and create big financial goals. Closing the wealth gap isn’t just about fairness; it’s about creating a world where women have the resources, influence, and freedom to shape their own destinies. When more women make millions, everyone wins.