This is a most interesting article from the New York Times:

Last year, female small-business owners were awarded only 3.4 percent of annual federal contracts — even though the latest statistics show women own almost half, or 10.1 million, of small businesses nationwide, and generate about $2 trillion in revenue

In 2000, Congress directed that female small-business owners receive 5 percent of federal contracts each year, now estimated to total $435 billion. But putting that mandate into effect has been a continual battle between lawmakers and the Bush administration.