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The WiSE Report: How women are already building the economy we say we want 

Last month, I was invited to share my reflections at the launch of the Women in Social Enterprise (WiSE) Report, Women and Social Enterprise: Perspectives on Feminine Leadership in Alternative Economic Business Models.  

The research explores the motivations and leadership traits of women-led social enterprises, the challenges they face, how their practices contribute to community wealth and inclusive growth, and what policy and funding changes could better support them. 

Having immersed myself in the report, it’s clear this is an important piece of work, not only for its analysis of feminine-informed leadership, but for how it captures the ways these approaches shape enterprises and the broader sector in Scotland. In my speech and in this blog, I share the key insights that resonated most. 

Understanding my leadership style 

What struck me the most was how much of myself and my leadership style I saw reflected in the report. The research and findings deeply resonated with my own experience as a woman working in this ecosystem. 

When I stepped into the CEO role at Firstport in 2022, returning from maternity leave, I made significant changes, approaches that felt personal and practical at the time. Only now do I see they align with recognised traits of feminine leadership: relational accountability, care over control, and valuing interdependence. 

What felt simply like “the right thing to do” – spending time talking with staff, enabling a culture of responsibility, autonomy and trust, prioritising partnerships over empire-building – is part of a wider, well-studied leadership movement.  

Realising this has left me feeling genuinely excited. I am part of something bigger than myself, a movement that is progressive, forward-thinking, and strengths-based. Women, and those adopting feminine leadership styles, are leading differently, shaping Scotland in ways that feel more humane, more sustainable, and more aligned with the kind of economy we keep saying we want. 

Connecting it to the work of Firstport 

The report’s findings mirror much of what I see daily in the women we support and the work we do at Firstport. High‑quality, client‑led support is one of our core strategic ambitions, and we have a strong track record of supporting women to start and grow social enterprises. 

Around 70% of our awardees are women. The Social Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF) consistently receives more applications from women, and our blend of funding and tailored support helps many women establish and sustain leadership roles. 

But the research also raises important questions: 

• how do we reach more women earlier, before they stumble into social enterprise by chance or necessity? 
• how do we recognise and support non‑linear journeys? 
• how do we back potential without defaulting to ‘growth = bigger’? 
• how do we protect leaders doing emotionally demanding, community‑based work from burnout? 

We’ve piloted initiatives that address elements of this, like Ready to Rise with the Challenges Group and The Melting Pot’s Enterprise in Place, but these remain standalone projects. Embedding this thinking across our programmes is something I want to explore more deeply so we can move beyond ‘add-ons’ that are helpful, but do not lead to systemic change. 

Growth can mean different things for different people 

A central finding of the report is a redefinition of growth. Women-led enterprises often prioritise sustainable, regenerative, place‑based forms of development. 

I value the idea of “scaling deep” and reject growth for growth’s sake. But I’m wary of creating fixed boundaries about what growth should or shouldn’t look like. I prefer to be open to the idea that growth, like profit, is not inherently a bad thing.   

I was challenged at the event on this point, and Dr Liz Gardiner encouraged me to think about growth in its different forms: spinouts, partnerships, networks, clusters, rather than just through an economic lens. 

Whatever growth looks and feels like for female-led social enterprises, the ambition and desire to take something brilliant that works and do more of it is there. Let’s remain open and supportive of it.  

Research about women is not just for women 

I remain curious as to why research about women is perceived to be just for women. At the launch event, there were only a handful of men in the room. The male colleagues I spoke to in the lead up to the event didn’t think it was for them, but were interested in the report and its findings. Having been involved in other initiatives such as the Pathways Pledge, I know this is not an isolated incident. The report defines feminine-informed leadership as collaborative, inclusive, and outcomes-focused, behaviours associated with femininity but practised by any gender. Feminine leadership is not exclusive to women – I know plenty of men in the sector who lead in this way.  

The report also explains that ‘when care and collective accountability are embedded in core economic infrastructure, they become strategic resources that draw on community knowledge, lived experience, and relational networks to generate meaningful social impact’. So, it’s strategically advantageous as well. 

But still, men don’t feel comfortable – or welcome.  So, how do we shift support for women-led enterprises if the conversation stays among women? And if feminine leadership isn’t genderbound, how do we help others understand it, adopt it or even see it in themselves? 

Rather than make assumptions about why more men weren’t in the room, we need to ask the question and listen to the answer.  And if we’re saying feminine leadership makes significant contributions to community wealth building and inclusive growth, and that policy and funding changes are needed to enable women-led social enterprises to do more, then we must engage everyone across the ecosystem on the matter, the role they can play, and how they do more. 

Let’s lead with data 

One recommendation in the report surprised me: that the Social Entrepreneurs Fund (SEF) should prioritise funding for women-led and collective enterprises. The implication is that this isn’t already happening, but the data tells a different story. In the last financial year, women accounted for 68% of SEF awardees. They also have a higher application success rate than men (31% compared to 25%), and substantial funding already goes to women-led enterprises. In the last financial year, £1.35 million of SEF funding (across grants and loans) went to women-led enterprises.   

I understand the intention, but presenting this as a gap risks misdiagnosing the problem.  If we combine the report findings with programme data (from other intermediaries or us), we will get a much clearer picture of the real barriers and can design interventions that work. And as we push for change in one area, we must consider the unintended consequences of this: who might lose out if we divert resources without clear evidence? And are we ok with that? 

Reasons to be cheerful 

The WiSE report is hopeful, progressive, and future‑facing. It speaks to the leadership we need to build an economy different from the one we inherited. It suggests that the “new approach” we keep searching for isn’t missing; it’s already here. We’ve built it. We are it. 

It turns out women haven’t been waiting for permission. We are already building the economy Scotland says it wants. As the report states: ‘women are not simply participating in social enterprise, they are actively shaping its character and direction’.  

And if we can align the metrics, the money, and the mindsets with the work that’s already happening on the ground, then we can shift from pockets of brilliance to a system that genuinely thrives.