Women know what empowerment is. It’s those empowering sayings on our bathroom mirror and memes on social media.  We join empowering groups and events. The energy, camaraderie and stories of success empower us. We are Empowered! But, we are not in power. The sense of empowerment; the sense that we can make the life we want slowly diminishes and we go back to the quotes on our social media for reassurance.

Empowerment is the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.

Empowerment is the process of gaining freedom and power to do what you want or to control what happens to you.

No matter what words we use to describe empowerment the key word is process. Empowerment is a process that leads to a crossroad where an act of courage and belief in yourself is needed.  The women who have entered into the cannabis space have moved beyond empowerment into actions. Their actions are moving them beyond empowerment into positions of power. These are women of courage and vision. To change women’s positions in any industry or job segment is challenging. To change the positions and attitudes towards women in the cannabis industry is a battle. Our secret weapon is our power. Connecting with other women in the cannabis space online or in person for authentic conversations amplifies our power. 

Women consumers, women-lead companies and women in executive roles is no longer a niche.

The stats confirm: Women are a Solid Investment! 

• 42% of all U.S. businesses are owned by women
• Women-owned businesses have grown 114% in the last two decades
• Startups with all-women teams only received 1.9% of venture capital funding
• About half of all startups in the U.S. are founded by women
• One-third of businesses worldwide are owned by women
• Businesses with gender diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to have above average profitability

https://luisazhou.com/blog/women-in-business-statistics/

“In recent years, women have accounted for more than 85% of purchases per TechCrunch across various categories in the U.S. alone. Women make up roughly half of the U.S. working population and, when adjusted for self-employment, are the new workforce majority. Much of this growth was driven by gains in the retail and healthcare sectors, industries that employ more women and are heavily influenced by female spending power.” 

“Women are estimated to control 75% of discretionary spending by 2028. Women entrepreneurs also tend to borrow more conservatively than men, launching startups with less capital. Yet, they contribute more than 37% of global GDP today.” Forbes

Let’s move beyond Empowerment and acknowledge and embrace our Power!