The number of women entrepreneurs in Brazil is steadily increasing. According to the latest “Female Entrepreneurship” survey, the percentage of female business owners compared to the total number of businesses reached 34% in the country in 2022 – an increase of almost 30% compared to 2021.
In total, there are over 10 million women who own their own businesses. Most of them started their companies out of necessity and found entrepreneurship as a way to ensure their livelihoods and find fulfillment in their professional lives.
But it’s not all smooth sailing. According to the research, in the scenario of businesses led by women, nine out of ten female entrepreneurs continue to lead their companies alone. Many of them report having to balance household work with their own business, facing double (and even triple) workloads.
Nevertheless, it’s important to encourage more women to venture into this field. That’s why there’s nothing better than getting to know stories of those who have succeeded in their own business ventures.
One of the 10 million women entrepreneurs in Brazil is photographer Cleidiane Duarte. She specializes in producing children’s and family photoshoots.
Cleidiane’s professional journey began in 2011 when she joined Antenados Produtora, where she remained until 2020. Initially, she worked as an apprentice and later as an instructor.
At the production company, Cleidiane had the opportunity to meet more experienced professionals and take more photography courses. The photographer holds a degree in Advertising and has worked in various areas, such as weddings and events, for example.
“Photography is incredible for many reasons, but receiving feedback from clients saying how important that photoshoot was for boosting their self-esteem is priceless.”
The Ramacrisna Institute also played a fundamental role in the story of Jaine Barbara Menezes Oliveira. When she enrolled in the Braider course, she was only looking for a new skill to use on her own hair. It was in the “Building the Future” Project, carried out by the Ramacrisna Institute in partnership with Petrobras through the Petrobras Socio-environmental Program, that she realized a profession was born. “As soon as the course ended, I started serving some neighbors and relatives, and I understood that what I had learned shouldn’t just stay with me,” she says. The appointments began with the kit she received at the end of the course, along with the certificate. “When classes started, I wasn’t working, but my mind was opening up to the possibility of starting a new career. So, I created a professional profile on social media and started building a client base, which grew. In December, my schedule was full,” celebrates the new entrepreneur.
Another woman entrepreneur who managed to find her path in her career is Isabela Machado. She has always been passionate about fashion and therefore opened a small store, Zabelí Brechó, in her hometown, Igarapé, in Greater BH.
She ran the business for a while until it was time to attend college. That’s when she put the store aside to graduate in Architecture and Urbanism. But, even with her diploma in hand, she couldn’t find a job, which deeply affected her psychologically.
Isabela was even admitted to a psychiatric institution and began a long treatment. Besides medication, she found in the store a way to support herself. The thrift store was already back when the young woman decided to participate in the Bootcamp – Entrepreneurship in Action course, at the time carried out by the Ampliando Fronteiras project, from Ramacrisna in partnership with BrazilFoundation and the municipality of Igarapé.
“I found out through a friend about the course that would take place. And there I went. I started closing the thrift store in the afternoon to study,” she says. In addition to knowledge, she dreamed of being selected by the project to receive exclusive Business Modeling consultancy and financial support in the amount of R$15,000 to invest in her business.
And she succeeded. With the money, she paid off debts, bought paint, moved the thrift store to downtown Igarapé. In addition, she invested in a minibar, financial control software, and replenished the stock. Today, Isabela hopes to expand her store and win more customers.
Aware of the difficulties faced by women in the job market and entrepreneurship, the Ramacrisna Institute works to educate and enable more and more women to succeed in their careers. There are several vocational courses and projects in culture, leisure, sports, educational support, and learning.
In total, more than two million people have already benefited from at least one of our initiatives. But Ramacrisna wants even more. And you can help maintain this chain of goodwill.
