Where Are All The UK’s Female Entrepreneurs?
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Why are so few women, relatively speaking, launching businesses in the U.K.? The Government is so worried by the data on the UK’s female entrepreneurship that it has just unveiled an investigation into the issue. Banker Alison Rose has been asked to make recommendations to ministers on how to encourage more women to found their own enterprises.
The review reflects that fact that fewer than one in five small and medium-sized enterprises in the U.K. are led by women. While women in the UK outnumber men by around 1 million, there are twice as many male entrepreneurs as females.
“If we want to strengthen the U.K.’s position as one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business, then no-one can be left behind,” Ms. Rose said following her appointment.
“Unfortunately, statistics show that women make up only a third of all entrepreneurs in the U.K. To better drive the U.K.’s economy, we need to understand, and tackle, the barriers and reasons as to why this is – more can be done to support women in enterprise.”
In fact, there is already a growing body of evidence that offers some clues to what is going on. The research does not make happy reading.
Cultural barriers appear to be part of the issue, with women not supported or encouraged into entrepreneurship in the same way as their male counterparts. Research published recently by the Unilever Foundry found women who had launched businesses routinely report that they have had to defy stereotypes and overcome others’ expectations of them; they also cited the lack of female role models in business.
