When I first read about 5 VC investors that target female entrepreneurs, I wasn’t impressed. Women do not need special investors who would look at who is leading the team and then fund a new venture if it’s led by women or leave out if there were male partners.
But then I read the article again and then the reality sunk in.
According to a study, companies with all-male management teams are over four times more likely to receive VC funding than businesses with even one woman on the team. Not just that, 97% of venture-funded businesses have male CEOs. The report talks about how male networks are bigger, more influential and how their contacts help men breakthrough.
May be there is a need to help women led ventures but more than these I want to ask other VCs to think of concepts and ideas without any bias towards the gender. To think of men and women as equals and fund the idea that’s better than picking up on the gender.
Women don’t need a differential treatment, do they?
Writing for #MicroblogMondays today.
happiness and food 
Gosh! The bias! 🙂 No we don’t need special treatment. We just need to be treated well! Happy Women’s Day, Parul!
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Business world can be very biased, that’s what I have heard and read. Can’t say of any personal experience. But based on my experience in the higher education sector, where women are not in minority as such even there many inequities and bias exist. Even in so-called advanced societies like the US.
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i haven’t read the article you are talking about, but i definitely think women need a boost whenever possible. particularly in countries like india, where the gender gap is considerable. and today is international women’s day too 🙂
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Happy women’s day, Parul! Food for thought.
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Just another bit of evidence that we live in an unequal world. Thank you for sharing about this organisation, Parul. I’m sure it will help a lot of women.
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I wish I wish the selection was made on the basis of ideas and strategy, but I guess when inequality comes into picture it becomes necessary to take other steps for the betterment on minority. As Naba mentioned in one of her posts, the difference lies in lack of opportunity for women. That’s just my view. Happy Women’s day 🙂
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I don’t understand why so much of hesitation in funding women when they are actually more hardworking and better at time management. In my career spanning 8 years this is what I have seen over & over again.
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Ugh. That is so disheartening, yet unsurprising. It’s a tough question – maybe it’s not that women need special treatment as much as companies need to be gender-blind when choosing ventures? I wonder if there were some way to only refer to candidates by a first initial, and use “they” instead of “his” or “hers” in their bio? Thank you for shining a light on this issue, Parul.
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That’s a good point. If only that one could be implemented and executed. Thanks for stopping by Tracy!
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That is exactly the thing. Women don’t need special treatment, just equal treatment. Not too much to ask for – right?
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Not really but see how things are made special..
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Women never needed to be treated as Angels but as Humans always. Great thought Parul !!!
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Thanks Vasantha!
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I think we instinctively see the negative aspects of this as just another example of differences because we are conditioned to do that. But I’d like to see this as encouragement for women, an acknowledgement that women are capable and worthy. Just a different viewpoint.
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Again?! This has been happening and still continues. I totally believe that equality is the key, but to an extent I think, may be because not many women are given that kind of exposure, and that is how they see women probably, that’s why they do so! On and on, it is wrong, for it should purely be based on one’s experience, ideas, strategy and everything required to grant the funding.
Food for thought Parul.
Cheers
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We definitely don’t need a differential treatment in matters of intelligence and capabilities. We just need equal opportunities and whoever wins, wins.
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I guess it all starts from the belief since the years gone by that women cannot rise to the boardrooms of organizations. Not necessarily ability but more to do with their responsibilities towards homes, family and stuff. And so people think that women cannot give the time needed to run an existing organization or even run a new venture.
But then I guess in a world like today where more and more women are getting educated than ever before, doing amazingly well in large corporates, rising to high positions, it’s important for the mindsets to start changing. Responsibilities at home and towards family are shared equally rather than women doing everything. There’s also the concept of stay at home dads which is gaining ground in places.
And this is where I again always believe that we should be the change we want to see.
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