Thriving through doubt

Women-only businesses are often met with skepticism. Li, for instance, has been the target of personal attacks online, with critics questioning whether her efforts to empower women are driven by profit. Despite this, she remains confident that her sincerity will be recognized over time.

"Women consumers are very perceptive, and entrepreneurs with insincere motives will eventually be pushed out by the market," she said.

When women-only businesses fail, they also tend to attract harsher criticism.

Fanfan (pseudonym), 24, launched a women's co-living community in May 2023 with two female friends. They rented a five-room villa in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, offering female tenants a unique shared living experience.

"We wanted to create an environment where women could truly be themselves, while also easing the financial and emotional burdens they often face when looking for a safe place to live," she said.

Initially, the community drew many young women from other regions during the summer, but visitor numbers dropped sharply after the holiday season ended. The business also faced online misogynistic attacks.

Struggling financially and under mounting pressure, the startup closed in early 2024.

Fanfan's experience is not unique. Recently, several women-only businesses in Beijing have shut down, raising concerns about the sustainability of such business models.

Meng and Lan attribute these closures to various factors, including a lack of entrepreneurial experience and poor planning — issues unrelated to gender.

Li agreed. She said that when women-only businesses fail, people tend to focus on gender instead of the underlying issues. "Countless startups fail every day, and that's not surprising," she explained.

Despite the setbacks, Fanfan remains active in the female-focused entrepreneurial space. She has since opened a women's bar in Nanjing and is working to promote women's products like period underwear, which are still relatively new to the Chinese market.

"Women's growing awareness has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me," Fanfan said. "Still, few businesses truly address these emerging needs. I want to carve out my own space in this new landscape, even if it means starting from scratch and challenging the old rules."

Contact the writer at mengwenjie@i21st.cn