In a move towards fostering gender equality and economic growth, FFE has pledged its support to the Invest in Women Hub. This initiative underscores FFE’s dedication to advancing opportunities for women in various sectors, recognising their critical role in driving sustainable development and economic progress.
The Investing in Women Code
The Investing in Women Code is a commitment by companies in the finance industry to make it easier for female entrepreneurs to access resources and funding, aiming to create a business environment that helps more women succeed.
What is the Invest in Women Hub?
The Invest in Women Hub is the go-to destination for women seeking to raise capital. It has been created to empower women to embrace entrepreneurship, regardless of the stage of their journey. The Hub provides the tools and framework necessary for business success, whether one is just starting out or looking to secure crucial funding for growth.
Why do we need the Hub?
The wealth of online information available to UK entrepreneurs is often fragmented, which can be confusing for founders navigating an overwhelming digital landscape. The Hub aims to be a reliable first port of call for female entrepreneurs across the UK, offering pathways to the finance needed to start, grow, and scale a business.
Who runs the Hub?
The Hub is operated by the Council for Investing in Female Entrepreneurs (CIFE), a voluntary collective established to support women in business. The Council funds its participation through subscriptions and remains independent of government.
Committed to breaking down barriers for women in business, the CIFE created the Invest in Women Hub to provide a reliable, expert, and accessible source of information, focusing on securing finance-a major information gap identified by their research.
Addressing the gender gap
An independent review in 2019 highlighted significant gender disparities in entrepreneurship:
- Only one in three entrepreneurs in the UK are women.
- The ratio of female to male entrepreneurs has dropped in recent years.
- Women are less likely to start a business and scale up if they do.
- Female-led businesses are, on average, less than half the size of male-led businesses.
Paula Foreman, Operations Director at FFE, stated, “We signed up to the Investing in Women Code because inclusion is a key part of our culture, and we work with small business owners every day. This positions us perfectly to support and grow the female business community and help change these statistics.”
To find out more about the Invest in Women Hub, please click here.
