The Gender Index 2025 Report is LIVE Head to our website to download the full report. https://t.co/04gTjxVcQ6 #TheGenderIndex2025 #TGI25

A message from our Chairman, Sam Cooper-Gray To our sponsors, partners and supporters, thank you. Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a great start to the new year.

Check out the Invest in Women Taskforce Report 2025 - The Missing Slice:

The Gender Index is proud to support the Invest in Women Taskforce and its #FindTheMissingSlice campaign. With £600m raised in a year to back female founders, the 2025 report shows progress and the work ahead. When women get the right capital and support, everyone gains.

Language matters: Do we say “female founder” or just founder? The phrase aims to elevate but can isolate. Some gain community from the label; others feel singled out. At The Gender Index we track female-led firms for visibility, but hope one day “founder” is enough.

Female founders are undeniably resilient — but resilience shouldn’t be required to access capital, be taken seriously, or build sustainable businesses. Women thrive in spite of the system, not because of it. Let’s stop applauding survival and build systems that don’t demand it.

Underfunded, underrepresented, overlooked. Only 19.1% of UK companies are female-led, yet women-led firms grew faster in 2024. They’re shut out of capital because networks stay exclusive. This isn’t a funding gap—it’s a credibility gap. The Gender Index has the data. Act.

Gen Z is reshaping the workplace, especially women. 62% of Gen Z women want DEI and mental-health policies discussed on Day 1, compared with 42% of men. To retain future leaders, onboarding must show real transparency and belonging. Read more:

The UK loses £1.7bn in productivity yearly. 1 in 10 women leave work due to perimenopause symptoms, a huge loss for entrepreneurship. Supporting them is economic common sense. Read more:

From survivor to entrepreneur: In Moldova, Diana turned trauma into empowerment. Through Progress Academy, she teaches 600+ kids, employs women, and advocates for survivors. Her story shows what’s possible when women are supported. Read more

1 in 4 women in Ireland want to start a business, but barriers persist. New Amárach research for Local Enterprise Offices shows 24% aspire to entrepreneurship— 36% of women 18–24. Financial fears, confidence gaps & caring duties hold many back. Read more:

The Gender Index 2025 data shows a stark reality: 83.2% of private equity 74.2% of venture capital 71.2% of corporate VC …all went to male-led businesses in 2024. If funding patterns don’t change, the leadership patterns won’t either. #FundingGap #FemaleFounders

Where you start a business in the UK matters. The Gender Index 2025 shows big regional contrasts: Wales up 38%, N. Ireland +13%, Scotland +2%, but England down 3%. Local ecosystems, capital, networks & policy shape opportunity. Progress is local. #FemaleFounders #TheGenderIndex

Is Gen Z the growth generation? The Gender Index 2025 shows 21.1% of Gen Z businesses are female-led, one of the highest rates across generations: Millennials 20.6%, Gen X 18.7%, Boomers 18.2%, Silent 21.7%. Gen Z women are leading early but barriers in funding remain.

What gets measured, gets funded. Visibility drives change. Consistent, gender-disaggregated data shows female-led firms will rise only from 19.1% (2025) to 21.7% (2030) without action. Data reveals disparities—and powers funding where it’s needed. #FemaleFounders #DataForChange

Leadership update: We say thank you to Jill Pay as co-founder and 3 remarkable years as Chairman. We now welcome Sam Cooper-Gray, former HSBC exec, founder of The Wisdom Studio & IiW Taskforce co-lead on scaling female-led businesses, as she steps into the role. #TheGenderIndex

What’s one thing you wish you knew earlier in your career? At The Gender Index, we see the power of experience: only 19.1% of UK firms are female-led, yet they grew turnover 24.6% in 2024, outpacing male-led ones. Women deliver results; systems must catch up. #InclusiveEconomy

The richest women in America are losing ground. Not wealth, but representation. Only 15.5% of the Forbes 400 are women, down from 17%, despite most getting richer. The issue isn’t success, it’s systems. Until those shift, equality stays out of reach. #WealthGap #FemaleFounders

From boilers to bookkeeping Across the UK, women continue to reshape what entrepreneurship looks like and The EpiCentre in Haverhill is a clear example of this transformation in action. Read more here: https://t.co/DRJnutFhcH #FemaleFounders #InclusiveGrowth

Fast-growth, slow equity: what's holding female founders back? Check out our insights:

Community-powered funding is fuelling a new generation of women-led ventures The winners of the Built By Her campaign show what’s possible when grassroots support meets bold ambition. Over £100,000 raised 68+ female-founded ventures funded https://t.co/KPJ6CNnXyg