White Collar | Hong Kong ranks second in world for women entrepreneurs

Can’t join the board of directors? Why not set up your own business?

This may well explain why only 10 per cent of directors in Hong Kong are women, compared with 45 per cent of entrepreneurs, according to a global survey by French lender BNP Paribas.

Its “Global Entrepreneurialism Report” surveyed 2,523 entrepreneurs in 17 markets in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

It showed Hong Kong ranks second in the world when it comes to women setting up their own businesses, behind only India, where 49 per cent of entrepreneurs are female.

In France, the figure was 42 per cent, while Britain had 39 per cent, Spain and the United Arab Emirates 38 per cent, the mainland and the US 36 per cent.

In Taiwan just 28 per cent of entrepreneurs were women, but that was still ahead of the 25 per cent in Singapore and 17 per cent in Belgium, which trailed the field.

Globally, 37 per cent of entrepreneurs are women.