Investing in women entrepreneurs is the surest bet there is

Women entrepreneurs are extraordinary. Give them the right support, and they transform not only their own lives, but those of their families, their employees and their communities. In 2025 alone, we saw it happen more than 29,000 times over.

Our 2025 Impact Report, published today, is full of those stories – women who grew their businesses, created jobs, reached new markets and reinvested in the people and places around them. And it matters now more than ever. Women’s rights are under pressure in many parts of the world, and funding for women’s equality is tightening. This report shows exactly why backing women entrepreneurs is the right response: they hold vast unlocked potential that can change lives and drive the economic growth we so badly need.

The numbers tell part of the story: of the 29,190 women we supported across 40 countries in 2025, 80% increased their revenue and 38% created new jobs. That’s not just stats – that’s real change. Fadekemi Dorcas, a Nigerian entrepreneur running two businesses tackling disability exclusion, grew her revenue by over 200% through our Road to Growth programme, hired four people and secured a $5,000 grant to protect her intellectual property. One investment. Many lives changed.

Empowering women entrepreneurs isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s one of the most effective drivers of economic growth available. When budgets are tight, you back what works. Women entrepreneurs work.

But changing individual lives isn’t enough when the system itself wasn’t designed for them. That’s why, through our research and influencing work, we’re reshaping the business environment women operate in – taking the voices and evidence of women entrepreneurs to the UN, the World Economic Forum in Davos and UK Parliament, amongst other places in 2025.

This is where I see the Foundation’s role evolving. For nearly two decades, we’ve worked alongside more than 319,000 women entrepreneurs across 120 countries. That experience gives us a unique understanding of where opportunity breaks down – and what it takes to fix it. We’re increasingly bringing together entrepreneurs, businesses, financial institutions, philanthropists and governments to develop practical solutions to the barriers women still face such as access to finance or unequal care responsibilities; and to take advantage of opportunities such as  AI and other digital tools. We want women to be equipped to seize what comes next, not watch from the sidelines.

None of this is possible without our corporate partners, philanthropic funders, donors and volunteer mentors. Your investment makes it happen – and the returns speak for themselves.

The women in our 2025 Impact Report are making the case every day. Our job – and yours – is to make sure nothing stands in their way.

Read the full 2025 Impact Report below. To explore partnership opportunities, contact partnerships@cherieblairfoundation.org.