Mind the gap: Scaling women-owned enterprises

Women entrepreneurs are central to economic growth, job creation, and resilience in developing countries. Yet women-led firms remain disproportionately small, informal, and credit-constrained despite evidence of viable business models and strong returns.

This International Women’s Day event will move beyond the familiar story of women being recipients of development programmes and toward a bigger question: what would the global economy look like if women-led businesses had the capital to grow, expand, and create jobs?

Drawing on the International Growth Centre’s research and policy engagement, this event will explore the structural barriers limiting women-led firms and examine what governments, investors, and development partners can do differently to unlock growth.

Discussion focus

• The most binding constraints facing women-led firms, including finance, norms, networks, skills, and regulation
• Why access to capital remains persistently unequal, even for high-potential firms
• What the evidence tells us about which interventions work, and which do not
• How entrepreneurship and SME policy must be redesigned to better reflect women’s growth pathways
• The role of governments, donors, and investors in building more inclusive firm ecosystems

The session will combine IGC evidence, policy perspectives, investment insights, and entrepreneurial lived experience, with a strong focus on practical implications.

Session format

Arrivals and Registration: 14:00 – 14:30
Tea and coffee will be served as guests arrive.

Main Event Session: 14:30 – 16:00

• Welcome and Opening Remarks
• Evidence Brief – Rania Nasir
  An overview of the latest evidence and IGC research on women and business/firms.
• Panel Discussion – Moderated by Sandra Sequeira
  A moderated discussion with invited speakers exploring key themes arising from the evidence brief.
• Audience Q&A
  An interactive session with questions from attendees.

Networking Reception: 16:00 – 17:00
Soft drinks and canapés will be served, providing an opportunity for informal discussion and networking with speakers and attendees.