Why are there women’s business or leaders groups? Can’t men and women be in the same business group? Why do some people market themselves as “women’s speakers”? Can’t they speak in front of men too?
Does this line of questioning sound familiar? If you have a women’s group at your chamber, maybe you’ve been asked these questions. If not, maybe you’ve been the one asking when the idea is brought up.
Why have a separate group for women? Aren’t their business needs the same?
Bringing Everyone to the Table
The business fundamentals are absolutely the same for men and women. Everyone needs customers, cash flow, marketing, leadership skills, and growth strategies. But the barriers and context are often different.
Access and Networks: Women often have smaller professional networks, especially in senior leadership circles. They’re more likely to be excluded from informal “old boys club” networking that happens on golf courses or at after-work events they can’t attend due to family responsibilities.
Communication Styles: Women and men often approach communication and networking differently. (Remember the 90’s book “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus”?) Women tend to build deeper, more collaborative relationships rather than transactional ones. A women’s group creates space for that relationship-building style to thrive.
Confidence and Visibility: Studies consistently show women are less likely to self-promote, negotiate aggressively, or put themselves forward for leadership opportunities, not due to lack of ability, but due to social conditioning. Women’s groups create safe spaces to practice these skills.
Industry Barriers: In male-dominated industries (construction, manufacturing, tech, etc.), women face unique challenges around credibility, inclusion, and advancement that are best addressed with peers who understand the experience.
Mentorship Gaps: There are simply fewer women in senior leadership positions to serve as mentors and sponsors. Women’s groups help fill that gap through peer mentoring.
The goal isn’t to separate women from the broader business community. It’s to give them the tools, confidence, and connections to succeed within it. Think of it as leveling the playing field rather than creating a different game.
Women’s leadership groups aren’t nice-to-have initiatives or feel-good add-ons. They’re revenue generators, member magnets, and community catalysts wrapped in one surprisingly powerful package. And if you’re not leveraging them yet, you’re leaving serious money on the table.
The Ripple That Became a Tsunami
Let’s talk about Maria, a real estate agent who joined a chamber women’s group. She showed up hoping to expand her referral network. Instead, she met a mortgage broker, a home inspector, and a contractor. Together, they created an informal “home team” that streamlined the buying process for their clients.
The result? Maria’s business grew 40% in two years. The mortgage broker landed five new partnerships through Maria’s network. The contractor hired three more employees to handle increased demand. The home inspector started a home maintenance consulting service based on insights from group discussions.
In just one networking meeting four businesses transformed. Jobs were created and there are thousands in new revenue circulating through the local economy.
That’s not networking—that’s economic alchemy.
Why Women’s Groups Are Different
Traditional chamber events follow a predictable pattern: handshakes, elevator pitches, business card exchanges, and the inevitable post-event awkwardness of “I should follow up with that person… eventually.” Women’s leadership groups operate on an entirely different frequency.
The magic happens in the margins. It’s the side conversation about imposter syndrome that leads to a mentoring relationship. It’s the casual comment about struggling with work-life balance that sparks an innovative flexible scheduling solution. It’s the vulnerability that creates trust, and trust that creates business. It’s the “me toos” that create the magic.
Women’s groups excel at what business schools call “weak tie relationships”—connections that bridge different industries, perspectives, and networks. These aren’t your closest business allies. They’re the acquaintances who know someone who knows someone who has exactly what you need. Research shows these weak ties are responsible for 70% of new business opportunities.
The ROI That Writes Itself
Whether you’re talking about college, church, or any other group with a social component, friendships are what keep people coming back and staying put. Retention rates increase when connections are strong.
When you start a women’s leadership initiative, you’re giving female business owners something that’s hard to achieve on their own–camaraderie. And it’s not just about being in the company of other women, but other women in business.
You may also notice with a women’s group that attendance across all chamber programs may increase because—surprise—women brought colleagues, partners, and employees to other chamber events.
Additionally, companies with women in senior leadership positions show 25% higher profitability. When your chamber becomes the place where women develop leadership skills, build confidence, and expand their networks, you’re not just serving members—you’re also growing the local economy’s profit margins.
The Unexpected Multiplier Effect
The most successful chamber women’s groups are geared toward not just developing individual leaders but operating with the understanding that they’re reshaping entire business cultures.
One member’s growth trajectory became a masterclass in compound returns. The women in your group who succeed become multipliers for other people’s success, and by extension, the chamber’s influence.
Beyond the Buzz: Real Business Impact
If you’re starting a “women’s initiatives” you want it to be more than a few wine-and-cheese mixers. Women leadership groups are more than social clubs. They’re business accelerators.
The groups that thrive focus relentlessly on outcomes: skill development, leadership opportunities, business growth, and community impact. They create what behavioral economists call “commitment devices.” Those are structures that help members follow through on their goals such as accountability partnerships for business development, peer coaching circles for leadership challenges, project teams that tackle real community issues while building members’ expertise and visibility. These activities are business development laboratories with built-in support systems.
The Chamber’s Strategic Advantage
Women control or influence a significant majority of consumer spending decisions. They start businesses at higher rates than men. They’re more likely to prioritize community investment and local hiring.
When you create a women’s leadership group, you’re not just serving half your potential membership base—you’re tapping into the demographic segment most likely to drive local economic growth, community engagement, and chamber participation. Better yet, you’re positioning your chamber as the go-to resource for the fastest-growing segment of business leaders.
Scaling
Maybe you already have a women’s leadership group and you’re wondering how to further scale and grow it. You can partner with local universities to create leadership development curricula. You can collaborate with economic development organizations to showcase women-owned businesses to site selectors. You can use your women’s group as a testing ground for innovative programming that eventually benefits all members. Yes, hosting meetings is fun, but you can also incubate the future of your business community with creative ideas like these.
Women leadership groups have a lot more potential than Girls Nights Out and wine socials. They are an economic development strategy that pay dividends in member satisfaction, community growth, and chamber relevance.
