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Why women-owned businesses need more support. What needs to change?

International Women’s Day can look different to everyone. For some, it’s a day to celebrate the incredible women in their lives who inspire them to strive for equal opportunities. For others, it’s a reminder of the gaps between men and women we’ve yet to overcome, especially in the business world.

This year’s IWD theme, "Accelerate Action," is a call to action for change - to not just celebrate the wins of women, but to address the barriers that still exist and what needs to be done to break them down.


At Pole Junkie, we stand proudly as a female-founded, female-led, and female-driven business. Our CEO and co-founder, Kirsten Fairlie, built Pole Junkie from the ground up, and today, women are at the heart of every department, from our warehouse teams to buying, e-commerce, customer service and marketing. We are proud to stock so many female-founded small businesses, all built by women who have faced the same struggles we have. Internally, gender has never been a barrier to how we work. No one is second-guessed because they are a woman. No one has to prove they belong or act more ‘manly’ in order to be in a leadership role. But that doesn’t mean we don’t face our fair share of inequality from the outside world.

From the earliest days of Pole Junkie, being a woman in business meant facing an uphill battle. Whether it was lawyers, investors, couriers, or landlords, Kirsten had to prove over and over that she was serious about her company. That her expertise outweighed their assumptions. That she knew her business better than the men in power who thought they did, simply because they were men.


Even today we see it in small, but telling ways. Delivery drivers asking if there’s a man present to help with heavy shipments, despite the fact our warehouse team is fully capable, some of which are pole dancers who could probably lift them whilst wearing 8inch heels. Or neighbouring businesses not taking us seriously because of the industry we work in. These microaggressions reflect a bigger issue: women in business are still underestimated, underfunded, and undervalued.

The numbers don't lie.

  • 🔴 Only 15% of businesses worldwide are owned by women.

    🟢 Yet, women reinvest up to 90% of their earnings back into their families and communities—compared to just 30–40% for men.

  • 🔴 Women business owners still earn 28% less than men.
    🟢 Yet, companies with female leadership are 21% more likely to outperform their male-led competitors.

  • 🔴 Only 17% of small business loans go to women entrepreneurs.
    🟢 Yet, women-owned businesses grow at twice the rate of male-owned businesses. 

  • 🔴 In the US, female founders receive less than 3% of total funding, despite running 42% of small businesses.

This lack of access to funding prevents women from starting and scaling businesses at the same rate as men. The issue isn’t that women don’t have viable business ideas, it’s that they aren’t being given the same opportunities to grow.


Make women visible.

We understand firsthand the challenges of being a female-founded and female-led business, but we also know the strength, resilience, and success that comes with it. That’s why we are deeply committed to supporting women in business and creating opportunities for female entrepreneurs to thrive. Pole Junkie is a proud member of Buy Women Built—a movement dedicated to amplifying women-owned brands across the UK and driving real change in the business world. One of the most impactful ways to support female entrepreneurs? Choose to buy from them.

This goes beyond Pole Junkie. It’s about making conscious choices every day, shop from , grabbing your morning coffee from a female-owned café, donating to organisations that uplift women, or collaborating with other female-led businesses. Change starts with action, and together, we can help build a more equal future for women in business.


Because women belong in business.
Because we know the value of women’s leadership.
Because the future of business should be equal.