• The average prevalence of early marriage across countries has decreased to 17% in 2012 from 21% in 2009.
• The number of countries with specific legislation to combat domestic violence has more than doubled from 21 in 2009 to 53 in 2012.
• 29 countries have quotas to promote women’s political participation at both national and sub-national levels.

On the other hand, there remain some significant areas for concern:

• 86 out of 121 countries scored in the 2012 SIGI have discriminatory inheritance laws or practices.
• Despite the introduction of laws, attitudes that perpetuate violence against women persist. On average, for the countries scored in the SIGI, around half of women believe domestic violence is justified in certain circumstances.
• On average, women hold only 15% of land titles for countries where data is available.

The SIGI website includes country profiles, a key findings summary, and a spreadsheet database containing detailed statistics that may be downloaded for further analysis. Find out more at genderindex.org.

• As of 2012, it is estimated that there are over 8.3 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing 7.7 million people;
• Comparing trends in the number and revenue accomplishments of women-owned and all firms by industries finds that women-owned firms are exceeding overall sector growth in seven of the 13 most populous industries, and there are several industries in which women business owners are standing toe to toe with their competitors in terms of revenue accomplishments;
• How women-owned firms are faring depends on whether the point of comparison is all firms or all privately-held firms. Women-owned firms are holding their own, meeting or exceeding average revenue and employment growth, when compared to all privately-held firms – falling short only when their growth is compared to the very largest publicly-traded firms; and finally
• While we learned last year that the growth of women-owned firms falters as they reach the 100-employee threshold and the million-dollar mark, a new analysis shows that the relative strength of million-dollar women-owned firms is greater now than it was a decade ago. Further, we may be losing a full accounting of the economic clout of women-led firms as they “outgrow” the 51%+ definition of being women-owned.

The 73-page report also contains state-level data as well as information on the 25 most populous metropolitan areas in the country. Learn more about this new must-have report, and download a copy for your womenabling reference shelf, at the link above. More blogposts will soon be available on OPENforum.com. You may also wish to read the study news release on BusinessWire, and read the lead article covering the study which appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

A recent survey conducted among women and men small business owners who are active federal contractors¹ shows that women-owned firms that are active in federal contracting have achieved the same level of business and procurement success as their male peers A new report from this second annual survey, Women and Minority Small Business Contractors: Divergent Paths to Equal Success, focuses on key trends among women- and minority-owned firms in federal contracting. This report, published by American Express OPEN’s Victory in Procurement (VIP) program, finds that while business and procurement achievements do not vary by gender, procurement strategies do vary, as do success rates.

Notable survey findings include:

• Women-owned active contractors have achieved the same level of procurement and business success as all active small contractors. Over one-third (35%) of women active contractors have received $1 million or more in federal contracts to date, statistically identical to the 38% of all active contractors who have reached the same level of procurement success. In addition, 19% of women contractors employ 50 or more workers and 42% have $1 million or more in annual revenues, virtually the same as the 18% and 47% seen among all active small business contractors.
• Investments made in seeking contract opportunities have risen over the past year, but remain lower for women. On average, active contractors invested $103,827 in staff and financial resources seeking federal contracting opportunities during 2010. During that same period, women contractors spent 17% less —a total of $86,643. Both generally and among women, however, procurement investments are up this year over last — 23% among women and 21% overall.
• Women business owners are more likely than average to have obtained a special designation or certification. Over eight in 10 (82%) of women-owned firms have one or more of these designations, compared to 70% of all active contractors. The most helpful certifications for women are getting on the GSA Schedule (24% are on the schedule, 41% of them have found it very or extremely useful) or taking advantage of veteran or disabled veteran status (less than 10% of women-owned firms have these designations, but nearly 40% of those who do have found it to be very or extremely useful to them).
• Bidding activity and contracting success rates have declined, more so for women than the average small business contractor. Comparing the most recent three-year contracting period (2008-10) with the previous period (2007-09) finds that the number of prime contract bids and participation in bids as a subcontractor are down: 47% for prime contracts and 48% for subcontracts. Among women-owned firms, there has been a 55% decline in prime contract bids and a 30% decline in subcontracting participation. Success rates have also declined: down 8% among all firms and 17% among women for prime contract wins, and -27% and -34%, respectively, for subcontract wins.

Finally, it’s interesting to note that women business owners do not yet find the women-owned firm designation to be very helpful to them in obtaining federal government contracts. However, as this survey was taken, the WOSB Procurement Program was just getting underway. Tracking the improvements that program will have on the number and value of federal contracts going to women-owned firms will be f great interest to the women business owner community.

This report is the second in a series of four reports that will be published from the second annual survey among active small business federal contractors. The first, Trends in Federal Contracting for Small Businesses, focused on the overall situation for small firms in the federal marketplace today as well as key trends seen over the past year. Other upcoming reports will focus on how strategies and outcomes change with level of procurement experience, and what lessons can be shared from firms that focus on subcontracting as a procurement strategy. To download and read the entire 11-page report click here, and to learn more about American Express OPEN’s VIP program, visit www.openforum.com/governmentcontracting.

A separate Womenable-authored blogpost focusing on the findings from the perspective of minority-owned businesses can be found on OPENforum.com.

¹ An active contractor is defined as a business that is registered on the Central Contractor Registry to do business with federal agencies and is either currently performing on a federal contract or has performed on a contract within the past five years.

Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, the most recently elected female head of state

Indeed, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap reports point out that, while gender parity in health and education have improved in recent years and are near parity in many countries, political and economic equality both still have a long way to go.

Where are the women political leaders? The most recent Global Gender Gap report (issued in October of last year) lists the following ten countries as those with the closest political parity between women and men:

1. Iceland
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Spain
6. Ireland
7. Sri Lanka
8. New Zealand
9. South Africa
10. Denmark

How does your country rate on political parity for women, as well as economic, education and health? Check out the 2011 Global Gender Gap report to find out.

Finally, good women, the power lies with us. Support your female candidates for office with your volunteer time AND your money … or run for office yourself! The world needs more women in positions of political and economic power.

Now jumping into the fray, with a pilot program in India, is Google. The new Women Entrepreneurs on the Web program is designed to help women business owners take their businesses online, and if it’s successful, watch for it to expand to other countries. A helping hand, or a play for global domination of the web? You decide – and keep watch for their expansion into other countries.

What are the blogmeisters saying? Read a few posts on Forbes.com, Fusible, and from Google India itself.

Find more about the program at womenentrepreneursontheweb.com or at the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, which looks to be partnering on the mentoring aspects of the effort.