Businesswomen Face Obstacles, U.N. Reports

Women around the world face more obstacles than men in setting up their own businesses and success stories are rare, the International Labor Organization reported Tuesday.

The Geneva-based U.N. agency’s survey found that women are harder hit by unemployment, have fewer career opportunities and must “maneuver through a maze of prejudices that prevents them from assuming a more dynamic economic role in many countries.”

“Unsurprisingly, in these circumstances, more and more (women) are trying to become their own boss or to find a foothold in small-scale activities in both developed and developing countries,” said the survey.

In the United States, women make up more than 50% of the work force and own 25% of the businesses, according to the report. In Finland, 30% of all entrepreneurs are women. The figure is 25% in Sweden, 21% in France and 20% in West Germany.