New Business Networking Event Boosts Women Entrepreneurs in São José dos Campos Amid Calls for Tax Reform
São José dos Campos launches a strategic business networking event for women entrepreneurs amid nationwide calls to update tax policies to boost female-led businesses' competitiveness.
- • São José dos Campos and Sebrae-SP host free networking event for women entrepreneurs as part of Elas Empreendem program.
- • 47.8% of MEIs in Vale do Paraíba are led by women, above national average.
- • Brazil has 10.35 million women business owners, representing 34% of all entrepreneurs.
- • Experts call for updating Simples Nacional tax limits to support women entrepreneurs and boost the economy.
- • Potential economic gains from tax reforms estimated between R$ 65.7 billion and R$ 81.2 billion with significant job creation.
Key details
On November 19, 2025, São José dos Campos' Prefeitura, in partnership with Sebrae-SP, hosted the Rodada de Negócios – Mulheres Empreendedoras at the CEFE (Centro de Formação do Educador), marking a significant step in supporting women entrepreneurs in the region. This free event, part of the Elas Empreendem program, aimed to enhance economic autonomy for women by facilitating direct market access and networking opportunities. Attendees, including women entrepreneurs, microentrepreneurs (MEIs), managers, and professionals, had the chance to present products and services, fostering business partnerships and expanding market presence.
Tatiana Sapla, a Sebrae-SP business consultant, highlighted the event's role as a "strategic space for women entrepreneurs to connect effectively, expand their networks, and create real opportunities," underscoring the growth of female-led entrepreneurship in the Vale do Paraíba, where 47.8% of MEIs are women—exceeding the national average.
Concurrently, discourse around supporting women entrepreneurs across Brazil stresses the necessity of updating the Simples Nacional tax regime's revenue limits, which have remained static since 2006. The current limits pose challenges to the competitiveness and sustainability of small businesses, disproportionately affecting female-led ventures. FecomercioSP advocates for this update to enable continued growth, with research from PUC-RS projecting an economic boost between R$ 65.7 billion and R$ 81.2 billion and the creation of up to 869,700 formal jobs if the changes occur.
Currently, women represent 34% of business owners nationwide—about 10.35 million individuals—and constitute 44% of Brazil's MEIs. This expansion spans diverse sectors, including technology, health, and education, emphasizing both economic independence and family support.
This combination of on-the-ground business events and calls for systemic tax reforms reflects Brazil’s evolving landscape for female entrepreneurship, pushing for broader recognition, support, and competitive conditions to sustain this vital economic segment.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.