The 2025 GEM (Global Entrepreneurship Monitor) report on women highlights their increasing role in entrepreneurship, though gaps persist.  The report is sponsored by the Cartier Women’s Initiative; The School of Management in Fribourg, Switzerland; and the Frank & Eileen™ Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College.

The report highlights that women are more likely than men to start businesses to address job scarcity, prioritize social and environmental impact, and are more likely to close businesses due to family or personal reasons. In addition, it covers the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) in the UK and the state of women’s education leadership globally, showing continued progress but also “glass ceilings” that limit advancement in top roles.

What I find striking about the report is its headline for the abstract:  New GEM Research: Women Are More Likely Than Men to Close a Business Due to Family or Personal Reasons.  Though it may be true, it is an odd emphasis to place on women.  I would have emphasized the reason a woman closes a business is because it is not profitable, similar to men!

This year’s report – draws on insights from 161,528 adults across 51 countries – highlights several barriers, including the reasons women and men give for closing a business. In 2024, 3.4% of women globally reported closing a business, compared with 3.8% of men.

The top reasons cited by women for closing a business were:

• Business not profitable (29.4%)
• Family or personal reasons (21.0%)
• Problems getting finance (16.2%)

For men, the top three reasons were:

• Business not profitable (30.3%)
• Another opportunity, such as a job, retirement, or school (17.1%)
• Problems getting finance (16.1%)

Family or personal reasons ranked fourth among men at 14.3%.

Other findings include but are not limited to:

• One in ten women compared to one in eight men started new businesses in 2024.
• Among startups bringing new innovations to market, women were at parity with men or higher in 18 of 51 countries.
• Women’s startup rates were up in 19 of the 47 countries participating in both 2023 and 2024 surveys, most notably in Jordan and Morocco where rates have doubled.
• Women were less than half as likely as men to be active in the internet technology sector (ICT) and 11% less likely to see the benefits of AI for their business.

The report offers six evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and ecosystem leaders.

To read about the recommendations and to download the report, “GEM 2024/2025 Women Entrepreneurship Report:  Navigating Challenges, Driving Change,” visit here.