From fintech to philanthropy, here are five women entrepreneurs on the Gen.T List who are breaking China’s glass ceiling
China’s historic economic growth in the last 20 years has had a positive impact on women entrepreneurship levels, with 25.6 percent of all businesses in China owned by women.
Despite lagging behind a number of Asian countries in levels of women entrepreneurs, including Singapore and the Philippines, China is strides ahead of Japan, where 17.3 percent of businesses are owned by women, as well as Europe.
Some theorise that the rise in numbers of women entrepreneurs in China is an unintended consequence of the country’s one-child policy. “Women have been able to receive more concentrated investment in their education and professional ambitions from their elders as the only child,” says Jennifer Lai, head of north Asia for global citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners.
Regardless, the world’s second largest economy, like so many others, has a long road ahead to gender parity. From fintech to philanthropy, here are five women entrepreneurs on the Gen.T List who are breaking China’s glass ceiling.
See also: 5 Women Entrepreneurs You Need To Know In Thailand
Lucy Liu
The 26-year-old co-founder of Airwallex, a cross–border payments company, has already led her startup to the revered billion–dollar ‘unicorn’ status. Founded in 2015, Airwallex provides technology to facilitate international transactions in foreign exchange markets, and successfully closed a US$100 million Series C round in early 2019. Lucy Liu was also made Fintech Australia Female Leader of the Year and EY Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018.
See also: This Is The Asian Century. Here's Why
