#SheDIDIT: Ambitious girls with entrepreneurial dreams

What?

#SheDIDIT is a unique platform for female entrepreneurial talent across ethnic and cultural backgrounds. It highlights women with migration background, supports them in realising their dreams and gathers the obtained expertise in a talent pool. #SheDIDIT is a collaboration between Markant vzw, Muslinked and Arteveldehogeschool.

#SheDIDIT's raison d-être is, on the one hand, to offer a realistic image of the female entrepreneur in today's diverse Belgium. On the other hand, #SheDIDIT wants to send a positive signal to Flemish society about the unprecedented and sometimes unknown group of enterprising women. The aim is not only to put these women in the spotlight, but also to inspire other girls and women to follow their own entrepreneurial dream.

Why?

RESEARCH: HOW DO GIRLS SEE DIVERSE FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN FLANDERS?

#SheDIDIT revolves around the visibility of enterprising women with migration backgrounds. But do these women also experience obstacles in realising their ambitions, and which drivers push them to act anyhow? We looked at young girls with and without a migration background, who still have to make important choices in their lives. Under the leadership of Karijn Bonne, researcher at Artevelde University of Applied Sciences, we organised focus groups for girls with an average age of 17, both in regular education and in OKAN classes (reception classes for foreign-language children of very recently immigrated parents). The results of this qualitative research provide explorative insights.

Read about the research results here.

THE BOOK "#(S)HEDIDIT: ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP, YOUNG PEOPLE AND DIVERSITY".

Today entrepreneurial skills are considered essential for future professionals. Young people need to be prepared for entrepreneurship, whether they will be self-employed or employed. At the same time, we can see that schools are becoming more diverse, as are the labour market and society in general. However, there is a lack of methods to work on the theme of entrepreneurship, young people and diversity.

After two years of #SheDIDIT, a request came to share our experiences in stimulating diverse entrepreneurship. #SheDIDIT wants to fine-tune the image of 'the entrepreneur' and share as many stories as possible of entrepreneurs of diverse origins, meanwhile helping them to make their dreams come true. This book (in Dutch only) is intended for everyone who wants to work with young people - both girls and boys - on diversity and entrepreneurship, within a pedagogical school project and beyond. It offers tips and exercises, numerous stories and testimonies from various entrepreneurs, and guidelines to accompany young people on their entrepreneurial path.