Each year, more women find entrepreneurship a way to build their careers and transform their lives. In Brazil, one of the drivers of this movement are junior companies, formed by university students who offer consulting services at affordable prices. These organizations open doors for young women to develop their skills and excel in the labor market.
There are currently 1,612 junior companies in more than 361 Brazilian universities. These non-profit associations offer services at reduced rates, charging only what is necessary to cover administrative and training costs. This facilitates access to entrepreneurship and prepares students for the job market, developing skills in management, teamwork, leadership and problem solving.
Supporting female entrepreneurship
Data from Sebrae 2023 indicate that women already represent 34% of business owners in the country and are responsible for 48% of new businesses started in recent years. These figures highlight the importance of initiatives such as junior companies, which support female entrepreneurship.
In the Junior Company Movement, female participation is significant. In Junior Brazil, for example, which represents the movement in the country, half of the Executive Board is composed of women. Participating in a junior company has been shown to be an important differential in the labor market. According to the Movement, students involved in these organizations have an employability rate four times higher than those who do not participate.
“Although there are still many challenges for women entrepreneurs, we have seen a growing number of young junior leaders committed to empowering themselves, undertaking and transforming their realities and that of the country”, explains Elias Gabriel, executive president of Brazil Junior. Success stories include Joice Toyota, founder of Vetor Brasil; Ianna Brandao, director of City Science at the Fortaleza Science, Technology and Innovation Foundation; and Fernanda Amorim, leader of community management at the Estudar Foundation and former president of the Confederation of Junior Companies of Brazil.
Next month, Brazil Junior holds another edition of the largest junior entrepreneurship meeting in the country, the ENEJ NO National Meeting of Junior Companies, which this year will be from August 29 to September 1, in the city of Florianopolis, in Santa Catarina. The event aims to bring together more than 4 thousand junior entrepreneurs from all over the country to further strengthen the Junior Company Movement.
