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This evaluation confirms FFEP 3.0’s significant value in fostering entrepreneurial confidence, knowledge, and pathways for female participants at every stage — from school-aged girls to women entrepreneurs — while highlighting further opportunities for additional funding to support broader reach, even greater equity outcomes and more sustained impact.
Despite progress, women in Australia remain significantly underrepresented in entrepreneurship, STEM pathways and economic leadership roles. The continuing underrepresentation of women in entrepreneurship shows a further need to understand and address the contributing factors.
This research study built on previous studies conducted as part of the Future Female Entrepreneurs Program, establishing the current state of women and entrepreneurship in 2025, the role and importance of entrepreneurship in women’s lives and financial independence, and what support and drivers could impact positive outcomes for women.
As the Australian Government’s 10-year plan to unleash women’s full capacity and contribution to the Australian economy reflects, only about 22% of Australian start-ups are founded by women. In the 2022 financial year, less than 1% of private sector funding secured by start-ups went to solely women-founded companies while more than 85% went to solely male-founded companies.
This report identifies key findings from quantitative and qualitative research with women entrepreneurs.
Did you know that for every 1.8 male entrepreneurs in Australia there’s only 1 female? If this figure was equal, Australia’s Gross Value Added (GVA) could be $400B higher per year, according to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.
The Accelerator for Enterprising Women program was designed to address this issue head-on. Whilst it’s still early days, we know it’s pushing things in exactly the right direction.
A national research report exploring the enterprising mindset of women in their 40s and 50s.
This research helps to complete a picture on female entrepreneurship that was first formed when 89 Degrees East and the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) collaborated on research into entrepreneurship among women aged between 18 and 24 years in 2021.
Gender inequality in entrepreneurship and STEM represents a significant missed opportunity for Australia’s economy.
Women are severely underrepresented as entrepreneurs with just one female entrepreneur for every 1.8 males. There is a larger gap between male and female entrepreneurs in Australia than other OECD countries.
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