IWD is important because it provides a platform to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness of gender discrimination and opportunity for women across the globe to break stereotypes.

However, we celebrate female founders every day of the year — we believe that female founders should be championed every day.

They have just as much right to be heard as male business owners  — this is one of the things that drives us to continue to move the dial for equality for female business owners.

•   The Finance Professional Show 2023: The Video
•   New female-led broker embarks on unlocking £250bn for the UK economy
•   IWD 2024: A tick box exercise or a force for good?

Female business owners face massive disparity when seeking finance, 50% of female business leaders and entrepreneurs reported access to funding and investment hard in the last 12 months compared to 40% male equivalent  — the average loan size applied for in 2023 for a women led business was £174,000 as opposed to a male led business loan application average of £507,000.

There is a long way to go before women have the confidence to apply for more funding, but it's trying to break down the barriers that prevent them from taking the leap that is the real challenge.

Its only as a collective we can start to move the dial and drive real change, that’s why having a female eco system is so important, as women support each other.

As a collective of women, we have a real opportunity to shift the disparity in finance.

When women themselves are inspired to be included, there's a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment — collectively, let's forge a more inclusive world for women.