Fylde coast group hits back at university study which says women's business networking 'fails'

The research from the University of Edinburgh, Lancaster University Management School and Dublin City University, in the Journal of Economic Geography, found the networks could not overcome bigger societal issues that prevent more women from pursuing their own businesses.

It said Policy makers see the drive to increase female entrepreneurship as key to helping foster national and regional economic growth. However, women lag behind men in terms of business ownership, growth and access to resources.

But one Lancashire based women-only networking and business support group said that while women in business often do find it hard to overcome societal issues, women-only groups allowed people to build confidence and skills with like-minded individuals who understand the unique pressures they can face.

The universities’ research took place in Northern Ireland, where female entrepreneurship is low in comparison to the rest of the UK and where female networks had been set up over the past 20 years to counter this.

Professor Claire Leitch, of Lancaster University said: “Women-only networks have not empowered women entrepreneurs.

“They do not have the power to overcome issues of male dominance in the area, and it is not a given that other policies would have that ability to achieve the goals of increasing women’s entrepreneurial activity, well-being and financial independence either.

“Supporting women-only networks merely pays lip service to women’s unequal position and power without addressing the structural issues and inequalities at the heart of the issue. These networks reinforce the masculinity of entrepreneurship and, unfortunately, there is no quick fix for policy design in this area.

“All parties need to identify, address and eliminate the various means by which cultural bias is perpetuated, restructuring the ways social institutions are conceived. If women’s entrepreneurship continues to be seen as a gendered niche, aspirations for its impact will never be met.”

But Coral Horn of Blackpool-based Pink Link Ladies network said while out-dated perceptions of gender roles in business still persisted women only groups had an important role to play.

She said: “Last year, I was asked to contribute to the Rose Review with regard to female business networking.

"It looked at the difficulties and obstacles faced by women in business. They included pay discrimination, primary care responsibilities and the lack of resources, support and investment for female entrepreneurs.

“From the report’s key learnings, an initiative was designed to increase accessible networking opportunities through a centralised platform that would connect more women through existing networks such as Pink Link.

“Networking is a business skill to make new connections and build relationships. When women network together, they feel able to share experiences and learn from each other without being judged.

“They gain confidence and develop the entrepreneurial skills that are needed to thrive in the male-dominated world of business where only one in three of the UK’s entrepreneurs are female.

“Yes, there is a social aspect to female networking. Many women form friendships with like-minded women who become customers, suppliers or collaborators. There is no doubt that these female-led businesses are impacting upon the economy.

She said their Enterprise Vision Awards were an example of the successes which do not seek to marginalise women, rather, they applaud their outstanding achievements and have a positive impact by encouraging other women to become entrepreneurs.