Even in Northampton, women running their own businesses face undue burdens that their male counterparts may never encounter, says Amy Cahillane, director of the Downtown Northampton Association.

She and other local female business leaders want to change that. And theyre hoping state funding could help.

With a $25,000 grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a state economic development agency, the group spent much of the summer researching the barriers faced by female entrepreneurs in Northampton. They found them.