We’re proud to champion women entrepreneurs and share the progress being made across Canada. The latest State of Women’s Entrepreneurship (SOWE) in Canada 2025 Report from the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) reveals inspiring growth, along with areas where more support is still needed.
📈 Women-Owned Businesses Are on the Rise
The proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) majority-owned by women continues to climb:
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15.6% in 2017
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16.8% in 2020
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17.8% in 2023
And as of 2024, 19% of all businesses in Canada are majority women-owned, up from 18.4% in 2023.
Private sector growth has also been steady, with majority women-owned businesses making up 20.9% in 2024, compared to 20.6% in 2017.
🚀 Innovation Driven by Women Entrepreneurs
While women-owned businesses are less likely to adopt emerging technologies like AI (12.3% vs. 16.5% among men-owned), the data shows women are leading in innovation.
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Businesses with majority women ownership (51–99%) demonstrate an innovation rate of 38%.
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That’s well ahead of both fully women-owned businesses (24.7%) and businesses with no women ownership (25.6%).
This shows women entrepreneurs are not only building businesses but are also driving creativity and progress across industries.
⚖️ Challenges Still Ahead
Despite this growth, women-owned businesses continue to face challenges, including tariffs, interest rates, and supply chain issues. Access to funding and resources, as well as support for adopting new technologies, remain crucial areas to address.
✨ Looking Ahead
The steady growth of women-owned businesses from 15.6% in 2017 to 19% in 2024 is a clear sign of progress. But there’s still more work to do. By continuing to invest in women entrepreneurs, breaking down barriers, and celebrating these wins, we can help accelerate the momentum toward true equality in entrepreneurship.