Principle - Relatable Role Models
- Making female role models more visible in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, including in entrepreneurship education at the earlier education stages
- Presenting known, as well as unknown, local examples (they are more accessible and relatable, boosting the motivation and confidence of potential women entrepreneurs)
Documents & Articles
Driver (2018) The importance of relatable role models
Article arguing whether showcasing only the super women is helpful. Whilst it gives something to strive towards, providing inspiration and aspiration, it also sets unrealistic expectations, and the niggling feeling that if we can't make it work then we are “not trying hard enough… or not good enough… or not organised enough”.
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Olson & Martiny (2018) Does Exposure to Counterstereotypical Role Models Influence Girls’ and Women’s Gender Stereotypes and Career Choices? A Review of Social Psychological Research
A paper investigating if exposure to counter stereotypical role models influence girls’ and women’s gender stereotypes and career choices.
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Marks, S (2021) Performing and unperforming entrepreneurial success: Confessions of a female role model
Article exploring the use of female role models to support and encourage women to open businesses.
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Benson (2022) The importance of role models for women in business
An article exploring the relative lack of opportunities for women to progress their careers in business, compared with their male counterparts, is not a new conversation. but despite global progress and open conversations, we still constantly hear of the challenges and hurdles for women in business in all industries. arguably one of the biggest contributing factors is representation and ‘being what you can see’.
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OECD (2019) Can role models encourage woman to step off the beaten path and become entrepreneurs?
Statistical information investigating whether if role models encourage woman to step off the beaten path and become entrepreneurs?
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Female role models change the world for the better
Article exploring why female role models matter.
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Warrel (2020) Seeing Is Believing: Female Role Models Inspire Girls To Think Bigger
Article exploring gender stereo-type roles and how role models can influence these perceptions.
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Workshops / Courses / Online tools / Quizzes
Guide: Role Model Tips
A guide on how to be a role model for girls.
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Workshop series: “You Can Be What You Can See”
UCD launches new role-model video series to encourage girls to consider pSTEM careers.
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Networks & Initiatives
Network: Enterprising Women Ireland
A peer-to-peer business support network for female-run businesses.
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Network: WA4E - Women Business Angels for Europe's Entrepreneurs
Unlocking female angel investment and access to risk capital for women entrepreneurs.
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Campaign: Inspiring the Future ireland
‘inspiring women’ campaign to highlight successful female role models in today’s workplace.
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Initiative: International Women’s Day
A global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.
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Initiative: The Female Founders map
Providing transparency in the sector and portrays great female role models in the startup ecosystem. Through portraying these role models, we want to inspire women to become entrepreneurs themselves. In the end, we want to significantly increase the number of female founders in Switzerland.
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Videos
Caren Grown (2021) chats with CEO Elizabeth Vazquez in Dhaka
Caren Grown from the World Bank Group talks with CEO of WeConnect International on how to accelerate inclusive sourcing from women entrepreneurs.
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Cara Antoine (2020) Your Persona
The first of the Role Models Masterclass discusses the power of "Your Persona".
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n26 (2018) Who are your female role models?
Women talking about who their female role models are.
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University of South Wales Podcast (2022) Inspiring Women Wales, Episode 2: Cherie Arlett, Empowering Women
Interviews with relatable Welsh female entrepreneurs. The podcast covers, empowering women, the importance of support networks and communities in business, why having relatable role models matters for women in business, funding a business, work-life balance and juggling family life and advice for women wanting to start a business.
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Janice Byrne (2017) The power of passionate role models
Her research on entrepreneurship deals with gender, work life balance and educational support and often appears in international conferences, academic texts and journals.
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Vera Rocha and Mirjam van Praag (2020) Can female founders be entrepreneurial role models for other women?
They find that exposure to entrepreneurial role models at work is a powerful tool to inspire women to create their own start-up, especially for those lacking prior contact to entrepreneurship.
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Ann Wallace (2022) Female Role Models and Home Training – Leadership Prep?
The podcast series is hosted by Dr Ann Wallace, Higher Education Management & eLearning Specialist. This series of ten episodes will feature Dr Wallace speaking with prominent females from each region of the Commonwealth to discuss “the road to female leadership”; conversations about the path to leadership and development as a female in the education, business, government, non-government, entrepreneurship, and health sectors.
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