Our evidence to the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee inquiry into female entrepreneurship
Professor Ute Stephan, Professor of Entrepreneurship at King’s Business School and affiliate of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL), has contributed written and oral evidence to the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee inquiry into female entrepreneurship. Her submission identifies deep-rooted systemic barriers facing women in business, including the persistence of the “think entrepreneur, think male” stereotype, the unequal distribution of care work, and the fact that women in the UK do not experience the same psychological benefits from running a business as men.
Drawing on extensive international research, Professor Stephan called for policy measures that go beyond targeted interventions to promote gender-inclusive entrepreneurship more broadly. These include improving access to childcare and elder care, expanding support for social enterprises — which are more likely to be led by women — and addressing mental health challenges by “humanising” entrepreneurship. Her recommendations form part of GIWL’s ongoing mission to ensure women have fair and equal access to economic opportunity and leadership.
Watch the oral evidence session here.
Principal Investigator
Professor of Entrepreneurship