GB/Z 42773-2023Women's entrepreneurship - Key definitions and general criteria (English PDF)

Foreword

This document was issued on 23 May 2023 by the State Administration for Market Regulation; Standardization Administration of the PRC and takes effect on 23 May 2023.

It is a GB/Z guiding technical document: it does not oblige, it guides.

It is classified under ICS 03.100.20, Chinese classification A10.

This document is in accordance with the provisions of GB/T 1.1-2020 "Guidelines for Standardization Work Part 1. Structure and Drafting Rules for Standardization Documents"

drafting.

This document is equivalent to ISO /IWA34.2021 "Key Definitions and General Criteria for Women Entrepreneurship", and the document type is determined by ISO International Research

The discussion agreement was adjusted to my country's national standardization guiding technical document.

Please note that some parts of this document may refer to patents. The issuing agency of this document assumes no responsibility for identifying patents.

This document is proposed and managed by China Standardization Association.

This document is drafted by. China Association for Standardization, Guangxi Normal University, Guangzhou Biaoming Machinery Technology Research Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Zhongchuangkong

International Association, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Commercial Industry Committee, Guangzhou Fanwenhua Cosmetics Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Pindao Catering Management

Co., Ltd., Ningbo City Vocational and Technical College, Dongguan Xintong Standardization Technology Service Co., Ltd., China Aviation Comprehensive Technology Research Institute, Metallurgy

Gold Industry Information Standard Research Institute, Anhui Kebo Product Testing Research Institute Co., Ltd., Qingdao Biaoyi Technology Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Quality and Standards

Standardization Research Institute.

The main drafters of this document. Xia Weijia, Hu Jianda, Wang Tianyi, Yao Xin, Huang Yihua, Liu Lu, He Zubin, Li Sheng, Gao Liwen, Cui Ning, Hou Jie,

Jiang Kexin, Zhang Daiwei, Cao Yang, Fan Wenhua, Wang Jing, Zhang Li, Peng Xin, Zhou Maohan, Xu Wenhuan, An Huajuan, Yuan Yue, Hao Yinbo, Zhang Wenqi, Zhang Yanzhen,

Ma Lili, Jiang Xiaoyan, He Lin.

Introduction

Gender equality can accelerate economic growth, increase productivity and foster social development and innovation. Women's equal access to education, employment, entrepreneurship,

Opportunities for trade and leadership positions can provide the labor and talent pool needed for economic development, as well as contribute to the development of productive forces and the promotion of social

Will innovate.

Gender equality can help businesses succeed. Companies with diverse suppliers have an advantage over other companies. Gender equality is also less

The premise of reducing poverty and increasing opportunities for women to start a business can help increase family income, asset accumulation and expenditure on child welfare.

There are currently many initiatives at the global, regional and national levels that focus on women's economic empowerment, but there is a lack of clear, globally

Defining firms that are owned or led by women and men poses challenges for the entire ecosystem of women’s entrepreneurship. These challenges include, inter alia, gender

Disaggregated data, research, policy development, international comparability, and access to capacity-building, funding and markets, etc. Create female-owned or collared

The definition of a leading business and guidelines for its use will lead to clear and targeted action in promoting women’s economic

Contribute to the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially many gender-related goals under Goal 5 (SDG5. Gender Equality)

target realization.

Stakeholders around the world have different definitions of women-owned or led businesses. These definitions are often adjusted to accommodate different

factors specific to the environment, such as cultural norms, policy and legal frameworks, the nature of the initiative, ease of verification, etc. Some definitions are difficult to apply

Informal or cooperative departments may not fully reflect the growth stage of the enterprise.

The nuances between the various definitions lie mainly in terminology, the percentage of ownership held by women, the level of women in management and the

degree of control. For example, multiple similar terms exist, including "female-owned," "female-led," "female-directed," and "female-influenced" businesses. Pass

Often, different stakeholders use different systems of criteria to give corresponding definitions. What is more, some stakeholders have not adopted defined

meaning, which often leads to slow progress on targeted projects.

In December 2020, the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) and the International Trade Center (ITC) jointly organized a webinar and approved the international research

Discussion Agreement ISO /IWA34.2021 "Key Definitions and Common Guidelines for Women's Entrepreneurship". ISO /IWA34 establishes a clear and globally consistent

Terms and definitions agreed upon for use in programs and actions aimed at women's economic empowerment. This also enables stakeholders to use a

A globally accepted definition, and in line with their stated goals and social, cultural, and economic context. Recognizing the need to establish a common definition,

This document provides a selection of terms and definitions.

ISO /IWA34 was developed online through two workshops, and opinions were collected between the two workshops. A total of 77 countries

368 experts registered according to the process, participated in one or two workshops, and/or submitted written feedback, and at the same time throughout the

Stay informed throughout the process.

Key definitions and general guidelines for female entrepreneurship

1 Scope

GB/Z 42773-2023 settles what counts as a women-owned business, a women-led business, a women-led cooperative and a women-led informal enterprise, and how a claim to any of those labels is judged. The terms clause fixes the vocabulary, the general requirements clause states the conditions that have to be met before a label is applied, and the judgment criteria clause tests the claim on three separate axes: ownership, meaning who holds the equity; management, meaning who runs the business day to day; and control, meaning who sets strategy and appoints the people who carry it out. The test is split that way because the three can be held apart. A company can be registered in a woman's name while the decisions, the bank mandate and the signing authority sit elsewhere, and a definition that looked only at shareholding would certify exactly that arrangement. Public procurement set-asides, supplier diversity programmes, development finance and preferential lending all release money against these labels, so a loose definition moves funds to the wrong recipients and discredits the programme that granted them. Published as a guiding technical document and equivalent to ISO/IWA 34:2021, it is written for procurement officers, certification bodies, lenders and programme administrators who have to decide whether an applicant qualifies.

This document defines a set of common definitions related to women's entrepreneurship that apply to women-owned businesses, women-led businesses, and women-owned businesses.

Sexual leadership cooperatives and women-led informal enterprises.

The definitions defined in this document apply to programs such as women’s economic empowerment (e.g.

International comparative data on sexual entrepreneurship, including impact on local and national economies. This document also clarifies the determination of the

Guidelines on important factors such as ownership, management and control and how to deal with investment dilution.

Note. If a business does not apply to any of the definitions provided in this document, this does not mean that the business is male-owned or male-led.

This document does not provide recommendations for project implementation, such as public procurement, based on definitions and guidelines. Also, this document does not address how to promote

Conformity assessment etc.

2 Normative references

The contents of the following documents constitute the essential provisions of this document through normative references in the text. Among them, dated references

For documents, only the version corresponding to the date is applicable to this document; for undated reference documents, the latest version (including all amendments) is applicable to

this document.

Note. GB/T 36000-2015 Social Responsibility Guidelines (ISO 26000.2010, MOD)

3 Terms and Definitions

The following terms and definitions apply to this document.

3.1

women-owned business

More than 50% ownership is owned by, managed (3.5) and controlled (3.7) by one or more women, and women are legal

An independent business entity (3.10) that is a signatory to legal documents and financial accounts.

3.2

women-ledbusiness

At least 25% owned by, managed (3.5) and controlled (3.7) by one or more women; if there are directors

Yes, no less than one-third of the board of directors are women; women are signatories to legal documents and financial accounts, and independently run businesses

Body (3.10).

3.3

Women-led cooperative women-led cooperative

More than 50% of the vote is held by women, more than half of the board members are women, and more than half of the leadership positions are held by women

(if applicable) cooperatives (3.11).

3.4

Informal businesses (3.19) managed (3.5) and controlled (3.7) by one or more women.