The rise in the number of female politicians taking to the world stage has inspired confidence in working women, according to new research.
A new study, released by online accountant company, Crunch, found that a third of British women feel more confident to speak their mind at work, following the rise of notable female leaders.
A further fifth of women surveyed said that they felt a greater confidence to speak up and have a greater voice in meetings. One in 10 women said they were also more willing to haggle or negotiate a business deal.
The research also suggested that women were also beginning to feel inspired to start their own business, with 40 per cent saying they felt more confident about pursuing their dream of starting a business.
Despite the positive reaction to the increased number of female leaders, only five per cent of women said that they are being taken a lot more seriously since the appointment of a female Prime Minister.
Justine Cobb, operations director at Crunch said, “It’s fascinating to see that the female business community in the UK is feeling buoyed by the rise in female political leaders”
“Having said that, with powerful role models such as Angela Merkel and Theresa May frequently in the limelight, this doesn’t come as a total surprise.”
“I was particularly pleased to see that two fifths of women feel more confident about starting their own business.”
“While it’s encouraging women feel more confident to speak out in meetings and to get ahead at work, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact gender inequality in the workplace is still happening.”
Throughout recent years, a number of female politicians have had an inspiring success, including becoming global leaders. Most recently, Theresa May was elected as the UK Prime Minister, while Hillary Clinton is on track to become the first female President of the United States.
Angela Merkel has been the German Chancellor since 2005, and Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has been in office since 2014. Most recently, the Democratic Party in Japan elected its first female leader, Renho Murata.
