Women can and do RISE but a government strategy would be a great catalyst

Literally thousands of women across the UK headed to events over the weekend to celebrate International Women’s Day   I’m one of them, I went to @Farleys Solicitors on Friday, to their ‘Bold Strategies for Success’ event where there was a superb panel of Lancashire Female Business Leaders sharing their expertise on Women’s Enterprise and how to influence strategy.

In view of this, I cannot help but write my thoughts about the state of women’s enterprise in the UK which continues to grow, albeit slowly, despite the lack of any political strategy.

I have been involved at local, regional, national and international level in  Women’s Enterprise strategy, for almost 30 years now.  

I have presented to Foreign governments, UK Ministers, Cross Party working groups and Lord Young.  I have compiled nationwide research for the British Chambers of Commerce in my role as director and ambassador for Female Enterprise.  

In 2022 I co-authored the Growing Women, Growing Lancashire report and off the back of that and with the support of Lancashire CC, I chaired the Lancashire Women’s Enterprise Steering group for two years.

These are the stark facts surrounding Women’s Enterprise In the UK.

Between 2005 and 2009, as a direct result of government policy, the percentage of Women in business in the UK rose from 12 per cent to 15 per cent.  Data was measured and presented annually in a 60 page report.  

Every region of the UK had a Women’s Enterprise Strategy either separate to, or within their three year economic strategy, every Business Link had advisers specifically trained in the How, Where and Why of Women’s Business Growth.

This all stopped in 2010 with the change of government.  Within three years, there was no measurement, no annual reporting, no coordinated approach to Women’s Enterprise, no strategy.  

Between 2010 and 2025, that’s 15 long years, the percentage of women leading businesses in the UK rose by only four per cent and it currently sits at 19 per cent.  Of these, only seven per cent ever break the £1m turnover.

The reports from Nat-West – The Rose Review in 2019 and the Barclays RISE report published Feb 2026 are welcome and you can ask 2225 women how they are setting up and growing businesses and what the barriers are, as often as you like.  Women are not the problem, a lack of strategy is.

As with all change, it has to be led by policy change, it has to be a priority for government.  

The current focus for the government’s Women’s Business Council is women in the workplace, specifically around gender equality and women’s wellbeing at work.  

This is a welcome step, but what is needed is a coordinated, pan-wide strategy for Women’s Enterprise covering the four C’s.

Cost of and access to Childcare (the UK’s cost of childcare relative to earnings is the highest in the world bar Switzerland).

A Coordinated tailored business growth support service for women.

Access to Capital (currently only two percent of VC goes to female owned businesses)

Careers advice and a national mentor/role model programme for students to highlight Enterprise as a great destination for all girls.

The latest research from Barclays states that £310bn could be added to the UK economy if women started and grew businesses at the same rate as men.  In 2004, The Strategic Framework for Women DTI report had that figure at £70bn. 

Please lobby your MP, your Chamber of Commerce, The Federation of Small Business for change.  It will not happen without a government led strategy, no matter how many reports are written and how many women are striving to grow businesses.

Please share this post as widely as you can.  This International Women’s Day let’s RISE.