There are over 33,000 female business owners in the province of Saskatchewan.

One in every eight women employed in the province runs her own business.

That statistic places female entrepreneurship in the province above the national average and fourth highest among the provinces.

Those numbers were released in a press release yesterday by the government of Saskatchewan as it announced Women Entrepreneurs week from May 17-23.

Tina Beaudry-Mellor is the minister responsible for the status of women.

“Saskatchewan women have built familiar brands and created markets across North America. As we emerge from COVID-19 restrictions, I encourage residents as they look to support local businesses to also look for ways to support women-led businesses who make significant contributions to the Saskatchewan economy.”

Throughout the week, the Status of Women Office will profile Saskatchewan businesswomen and their creativity, innovation and resiliency. The office also congratulates the membership-driven Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan for 25 years of supporting and building community with business advice, financing, training and mentoring.

To support local businesses and their employees during COVID-19, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the $1 million “Together We Stand” initiative on May 1. Funding will be used by Chambers of Commerce across the province to encourage residents to shop locally.

The province also implemented the $50 million Saskatchewan Small Business Emergency Payment on April 9, to provide grants to eligible small and medium-sized enterprises that temporarily closed or substantially curtailed their operations as a result of public health orders related to COVID-19. This program has been extended for the month of May.