The Timeline of Women in Business: From Past to Present
Mar 28, 2025
Celebrating Women's Achievements in March
As we wrap up March, a month dedicated to celebrating women's achievements, let’s reflect on how far we've come in the world of business. International Women's Day earlier this month reminded us of the incredible strides women have made - while also highlighting the work that still lies ahead.
Let's take a moment to appreciate our journey and the innate entrepreneurial spirit that has driven women forward throughout history.
Key Milestones in Women's Business History
Here's a timeline of key moments in women’s business history:
Early Pioneers and Trailblazers (1479-1917)
1479: Katherine Fenkyll takes over her husband's drapery business in Tudor London, becoming one of the earliest recorded female business owners.
1908: 15,000 women march through New York City demanding better working conditions and voting rights, setting the stage for the first National Woman's Day in 1909.
1910: Elizabeth Arden establishes the American beauty industry, later expanding her empire globally.
1911: The first International Women's Day is celebrated in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland.
1917: Women workers in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia, strike for "bread and peace," helping spark the Russian Revolution.
Early 1900s: Madam C.J. Walker develops a line of hair care products for Black women, becoming widely considered the first female self-made millionaire in the US.
Breaking Barriers in the 20th Century (1963-1999)
1963: Mary Kay Ash founds Beauty by Mary Kay (now Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.) after retiring from Stanley Home Products.
1970s: Maggy Lawson, known as 'Mama Benz' in Togo, rose to prominence as a female entrepreneur by selling brightly printed cotton cloth for garments throughout West Africa.
1972: Katharine Graham becomes the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, taking the reins at the Washington Post Company.
1973: Women are allowed to join the London Stock Exchange.
1975: The United Nations officially recognizes March 8th as International Women's Day.
1980: Sheila Johnson co-founds Black Entertainment Television (BET), the first cable TV channel targeting African-American audiences.
1983: The Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value Amendment is added to the Equal Pay Act in the UK.
1988: The Women's Business Ownership Act is passed in the US, eliminating lending discrimination against women and enabling female entrepreneurs to apply for government contracts.
1989: Susan Engeleiter becomes the first woman to head the US Small Business Administration.
1992: Women-owned businesses in the US reach 6.4 million, representing one-third of all domestic firms.
1997: Marjorie Scardino becomes the first female FTSE CEO, appointed as CEO of Pearson.
1999: Divine Ndhlukula founded Zimbabwe's first ISO certified security company, SECURICO.
The Rise of Women Entrepreneurs (2001-2019)
2001: Kalpana Saroj, known as India's first female entrepreneur and the "original Slumdog Millionaire," bought the distressed assets of Kamani Tubes Company and steered it back to profitability.
Early 2000s: Folorunsho Alakija achieved significant success in the oil industry and the fashion world.
2005: Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, an Ethiopian entrepreneur, founded SoleRebels, now among Africa's most recognizable footwear manufacturers.
2006: Indra Nooyi becomes CEO of PepsiCo, later growing the company's global net revenue from $35 billion in 2006 to $63.5 billion in 2017.
2008: For the first time, more women than men set up businesses in the UK.
2009: Vani Kola started Kalaari Capital, focusing on investing in early-stage, tech-based startups across India.
2013: Melanie Perkins co-founded Canva, an online design and publishing tool, valued at $40 billion in 2023.
2014: Luiza Helena Trajano was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Magazine É Magazine, recognizing her significant impact on Brazil's retail industry, after transforming a small network of stores in São Paulo into one of Brazil's largest retail outlets.
2017: The number of businesses owned by Black women grew 605% between 1997 and 2017, outpacing all other demographic groups in the US.
2019: The number of women-owned businesses in the US nearly doubles to 13 million, representing 42% of all US businesses.
Recent Achievements and Future Prospects (2022-2025)
2022: Women of colour comprise the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States, starting businesses at four times the overall population rate.
2023: Black women-owned businesses grew 32.7% between 2019 and 2023, compared to 12.1% growth for all women-owned businesses.
2023: Although women still hold only about 8.2% of CEO roles in these large companies, women CEOs finally outnumbered CEOs named John among S&P 500 companies.
2024: WCorp is established and launched at the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68).
2025: Nearly 20% of enterprises in India are owned by women, according to a report by Bain & Company.
2025: The 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
WCorp's Commitment to Progress
At WCorp, we're committed to accelerating this progress in 2025. Our goals include:
- Fully launching our AI-powered gender equity solution, ROI Genie, to help businesses implement and measure the impact of gender equality initiatives.
- Expanding our global network of WCorp Ambassadors to spread our message and support businesses worldwide.
- Certifying even more incredible companies across the globe, recognising their commitment to creating supportive workplaces for women.
By working together, we can transform workplaces, drive innovation, and unlock the $12 trillion economic opportunity that gender equality represents.
Share this post with your colleagues and team to inspire and educate about the remarkable journey of women in business. And join us in shaping a future where every woman can thrive in business.
