Beyond International Women’s Day: Why Investing in Women Must Be More Than a One-Day Discussion
International Women’s Day may have been last Saturday, but the challenges female entrepreneurs face don’t disappear once the celebrations are over. While there is plenty of talk about supporting women in business, real, practical change is still lacking -particularly when it comes to funding and investment.
Having stepped into the investment world myself, I’ve seen first-hand just how little structured support is available. What’s even more concerning is that the training aimed at preparing women for investment often misses the mark entirely. Instead of focusing on the financial and strategic skills needed to secure funding, too much emphasis is placed on appearance, confidence-building, and mindfulness - none of which would be taught to men in the same position.
The Funding Gap Is Still There - And It’s Holding Businesses Back
The numbers speak for themselves. Only 5.8% of all investment last year went to female-led businesses. This isn’t because women lack talent or ambition - it’s because they aren’t being given the same access to capital, networks, and decision-making opportunities.
Many funding panels are still predominantly male, which means women pitching for investment often find themselves in front of people who don’t fully understand their businesses or the markets they operate in. In a recent article in The Independent, Karen Barrett, CEO of Unbiased.co.uk, said:
"It’s significantly harder as a female founder to secure investment when presenting to an all-male panel that neither looks nor thinks like you."
This is not just an issue of equality - it’s an issue of missed opportunity. Female-led businesses bring innovation, create jobs, and strengthen the economy. Yet they continue to be overlooked in favour of more familiar, male-dominated ventures.
Women Need More Than Encouragement—They Need Access
Raising awareness about gender disparities in investment is important, but awareness alone won’t close the funding gap. Female entrepreneurs need:
Practical, investment-focused training – Skills-based education on pitching, securing funding, and scaling a business, rather than coaching on confidence and presentation.
Access to investors who understand their industries – More diversity among decision-makers would lead to stronger, more informed investment choices
Better funding networks – Women often lack the same investor connections that men have, making it harder to access capital.
Time for Action, Not Just Words
International Women’s Day puts these issues in the spotlight, but if businesses and investors are serious about change, commitment needs to be ongoing.
Women aren’t waiting for permission. They are building, leading, and excelling. The real question is why the systems in place are still making it harder than it needs to be.
It’s time to move beyond conversations and start making real, structural changes to the way investment decisions are made. Businesses—and the economy—will be stronger for it.