West of England Women’s Commission calls for more support women entrepreneurs

The West of England Women’s Commission has written, on behalf of the commission, to West of England Mayor Helen Godwin calling on her to step up efforts to support female entrepreneurs in the region.

The letter, drafted by the Commission’s gender expert Zara Nanu - with the support of commissioners, outlined a big gender gap in this area - and the steps that could be taken to close this.

Women-led businesses receive just 2% of venture capital in the UK, despite delivering 35% higher returns than their male counterparts. This isn’t improving, in the current geopolitical context - it’s getting worse. Yet the economic prize is enormous: £250 billion in potential growth that were currently leaving on the table.

“At the Women’s Commission, we see real potential for our region to lead rather than follow,” says Zara.

But the letter didn’t stop with ambitious statements, it included a roadmap and steps West of England Combined Mayoral Authority, under the leadership of Helen, could take to improve things including:

• Ring-fencing a minimum per cent of regional funding for female-led businesses

• Establishing gender-equitable assessment panels for all funding decisions

• Supporting regional hubs offering mentorship, coaching, and networking specifically focused on helping female founders raise capital

• Supporting flexible childcare services that reflect entrepreneurial working patterns

“This isn’t just about fairness,” writes Zara, “It’s also about economic growth that we cannot afford to miss. Female entrepreneurs in our region are building sustainable, profitable businesses in sectors from social enterprise to beauty to technology. They’re creating employment and delivering long-term value. What they lack is equitable access to the capital and support systems that their male counterparts take for granted.”

Read the full letter here.

We are hoping for a meeting with the Mayor soon to discuss this further.