A third of women (31 per cent) say they feel more confident to speak their mind at work, following the rise of notable female world leaders such as Theresa May and Angela Merkel, according to a new study released by Crunch.
Almost a fifth (17 per cent) of respondents feel greater confidence to speak up and have a greater voice in meetings, with a further one in ten (12 per cent) women saying they are more willing to haggle or negotiate a business deal.
The boom in female leaders may also have inspired a new wave of entrepreneurs; 40 per cent of women say they feel more confident about pursuing their dream of starting a business.
However, while many women are feeling more confident at work, not all agree they are commanding more respect at work. Only 5 per cent of women say they are being taken a lot more seriously since the appointment of a female prime minister.
Female world leaders an inspiration?
Justine Cobb, operations director at Crunch says, ‘It’s fascinating to see that the female business community in the UK is feeling buoyed by the rise in female political leaders. Having said that, with powerful role models such as Angela Merkel and Theresa May frequently in the limelight, this doesn’t come as a total surprise.’
Two fifths of women feel more confident about starting their own business. This is backed up by stats from Crunch, which find the number of women starting their own business has grown 42 per cent since 2010, and almost a third of all the new businesses are now founded by women.
However, Cobb warns that there is some way to go before equality is achieved. ‘While it’s encouraging women feel more confident to speak out in meetings and to get ahead at work, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact gender inequality in the workplace is still happening.’
Further reading on gender balance
