TSE K 645

TSE K 645 is a criterion document for women’s entrepreneurship that brings together basic definitions and the general criteria used to judge whether a business is women-owned, women-led, or women-controlled. It establishes a shared conceptual frame for the term “women entrepreneur” and helps distinguish ownership, management, and control as separate ideas.

Core concepts in women’s entrepreneurship

Women’s entrepreneurship is broader than simply having a female founder. In general technical context, the key question is who holds ownership, who directs strategic decisions, and who exercises day-to-day management. Terms such as “women-owned,” “women-led,” and “women-managed” do not mean the same thing: one points to equity or ownership, another to leadership, and another to operational management. Those distinctions matter when organisations, programmes, or datasets need a consistent way to classify businesses.

What this criterion focuses on

The scope of this document covers common definitions associated with women’s entrepreneurship and the issues used to identify whether ownership, management, and control of a business are in the hands of women entrepreneurs. In other words, it provides a common terminology and a general evaluation logic for this subject. The document supports consistent interpretation of the category rather than describing a generic business practice.

This TSE listing is the adoption associated with ISO IWA 34 and is noted as withdrawn. It should therefore be understood as a historical and conceptual reference for the shared language and classification approach around women’s entrepreneurship.