In the U.S., more than 9.1 million firms, mainly small-to-medium enterprises, are owned by women. They generate $1.4 million in sales and employ nearly 7.9 million people, according to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Canada is keeping pace, as research cited by Susan Ward in ‘Statistics on Canadian Women in Business’ indicates that the country “is a global leader in women’s entrepreneurship, with participation of Canadian women business owners comparable to those in the United States.” But it has not always been this way, nor has it been easy.