It’s 2025, and yet 35% of women running small businesses still face gender discrimination.

A recent study by AXA UK reveals the systemic challenges women continue to endure:

53% say they constantly feel the need to prove themselves more than men

47% believe they face greater risk in launching a business

And the number of women-led businesses is declining, dropping from 19% in 2021 to just 15% in 2023

The reality? For far too many women, starting a business still feels like stepping onto uneven ground — battling bias, self-doubt, and lack of access to funding or networks.