Women’s History Month: A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action, Please

By Ann Sullivan

At the risk of sounding like a grump, I’m a little tired of events in Washington celebrating women’s history month given the lack of progress that has been made in women contracting with the federal government. Two new data points show a big disconnect when it comes to women entrepreneurs and the federal government’s attempt at helping them grow. A full 99% of women surveyed said they found the federal government’s attempt at providing programs and resources ineffective. And the one that got me was that 42% of women who got SBA WOSB certified thought the certification wasn’t worth the effort required to get it.

If there was ever a reason why we need groups like the Women’s Procurement Circle (WPC), look no further than Bloomberg Government’s research showing a decline in contract awards to WOSB companies. We have our work cut out for us and small steps will not result in moving the needle. Bold Congressional action will be required to engage more women in the federal contracting space and federal agencies need to do more than simply increasing their outreach. As we all know, the key to success in any sector is adequate capital, which women owned firms struggle to secure.

Wouldn’t it be great if we were able to celebrate the vital role of women in our history by garnering greater success for today’s women entrepreneurs. The facts don’t back up empty accolades, especially in the federal contracting arena. What we need is commitments from federal agencies and the Congress to enable more women owned companies to win federal contracts. It’s up to us to hold them to it.