MEC Marks International Women鈥檚 Month with Women in Entrepreneurship Campaign and Events
What are we celebrating?
This March, the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at The University of Manchester is marking International Women鈥檚 Month through a focused campaign celebrating women leaders, founders and practitioners within the MEC entrepreneurial community, alongside two dedicated events designed to inspire and support women across the University.
This International Women鈥檚 Month, MEC is proud to celebrate women founders and leaders in our entrepreneurial community. We are committed to creating an environment where women can confidently lead, innovate, and grow their ventures in impactful ways. Through workshops, conversations, and visible role models that champion entrepreneurship for all, we want to build a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem at The University of Manchester and beyond.
Supporting Women in Entrepreneurship
While the UK is one of Europe鈥檚 leading startup ecosystems, gender imbalance persists. Around 20% of UK startups include women founders, and all-female teams receive less than 2% of venture capital investment. Women also remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles and continue to face barriers to funding, networks and visibility.
MEC鈥檚 International Women鈥檚 Month activity responds to these challenges by combining reflection, practical skills development and direct engagement with experienced women entrepreneurs.
Our Activities
5th March | Female Founders Vision Boarding | #MECIWD26
4:00鈥�6:00pm | Alliance Manchester Business School
To mark International Women鈥檚 Day, this hands-on workshop invites participants to pause, reflect and confidently envision their next steps. Through open discussion and a creative vision-boarding activity, attendees will explore entrepreneurial aspirations, identify potential challenges and translate ambition into action.
The session creates space to discuss confidence, access and visibility while connecting participants to MEC鈥檚 wider support ecosystem. Pizza will be provided.
24th March | Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship
4:00鈥�6:30辫尘
This panel event brings together women founders, programme leaders, students and professionals to explore leadership journeys, venture growth and inclusive professional environments.
Through shared experiences and interactive discussion, participants will gain practical insight into navigating challenges, building networks and strengthening their impact across business and academia.
2nd 鈥� 30th March | Social Media Campaign: Read. Lead. Inspire. #MECIWD26
Alongside our two flagship events, MEC will run an interactive Instagram campaign throughout International Women鈥檚 Month. From 2鈥�30 March, Read. Learn. Inspire. invites students, staff, and alumni to celebrate women in entrepreneurship.
- Read: Leaders and academics share their favourite books written by women, with reflections on leadership and entrepreneurship.
- Learn: Take a fun quiz to discover the women inventors and entrepreneurs behind products we use every day.
- Inspire: Celebrate the vital role of women in the economy, society, and science. Follow @uom_mec, get involved throughout the month, and share the campaign. #MECIWD26
Through polls, book-inspired features, and interactive content, join the conversation, discover new role models, and celebrate bold, women-led ventures. By amplifying these stories, we inspire future founders to step forward and see entrepreneurship as a space where they belong.
About the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre
The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) at The University of Manchester's, supports students, graduates and researchers to develop entrepreneurial skills, launch ventures and engage with innovation through structured programmes, competitions and ecosystem partnerships.
Through initiatives including Manchester Venture Builder, Venture Further Awards and the Female Founders Network, MEC is committed to fostering inclusive entrepreneurship and ensuring talented individuals have the confidence, capability and networks to transform ambitious ideas into impactful ventures.
If you would like to learn more and get involved with any of the above activities, please contact entrepreneurship@manchester.ac.uk