Women’s Small Business Month.
The resolution serves primarily as a symbolic acknowledgment, with no direct legal changes to state law. However, by designating October as Women's Small Business Month, the resolution emphasizes the need for continued support and recognition of the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the state. It highlights the increase in women owning businesses and the barriers they face, including difficulties in obtaining funding and the pursuit of a supportive network.
Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 44 (ACR44) designates the month of October 2021 as Women's Small Business Month in California. The resolution acknowledges the significant role that women-owned businesses play in the state's economy, noting that there are approximately 13 million women-owned businesses in the United States, employing 9.4 million people and generating $1.9 trillion in revenue as of 2019. The measure aims to celebrate and encourage recognition of the economic contributions of these businesses by the citizens of California.
The sentiment around ACR44 is largely positive, celebrating the contributions of women in the business sector and promoting awareness of the challenges they encounter. Legislators expressed a supportive view towards women-owned businesses, emphasizing the importance of empowering female entrepreneurs as a means of stimulating economic growth. However, it also sheds light on the ongoing struggles that these entrepreneurs face in a male-dominated business landscape.
While the resolution itself does not propose any contentious policy shifts, it implicitly calls for a broader discussion on the systemic challenges faced by women in business, such as access to capital and support systems. The emphasis on these issues may lead to debates regarding the effectiveness of current support structures for women entrepreneurs in California, as well as potential calls for more robust economic policies to facilitate women's access to the resources needed for business success.