Report on gender inequality in SMEs presented in the House of Lords
Report explores the role of women in leadership and board positions
Dr Magdalena Zawisza, Fiona McGonigle, Sandra Wiggins and Payla Walker at the Palace of Westminster
Dr Magdalena Zawisza contributed her expertise on the psychology of gender equality to a Think Tank by Women on Boards CIC, working towards a report presented in the House of Lords at the launch of Equitable Governance APPG.
Dr Zawisza was at The House of Lords in September 2025 to mark the launch of the report, titled Gender Equality for Women Entrepreneurs in Leadership and Board Positions across SME sectors in the UK. It was also a celebration of the establishment of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Equitable Governance. She said:
I’m truly honoured to contribute to this important work through my involvement with the Think Tank for Entrepreneurs and the Women on Boards Leadership Policy Committee. Over a year we’ve been meeting in Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf, London, progressing the work towards the report. My key message comes from my 62-country study on sexism which shows that gender equality benefits us all: women, men and countries in terms of social, economic and health performance. This is the largest such study to date.
It’s been a privilege to collaborate with fellow committee members Lina Kačiulis, Harpreet Stevenson, Fiona McGonigle, and Rosie O'Hanlon-Hills as we help shape the dialogue and drive meaningful change.
Baroness Sandy Verma and Tabitha Morton from UN Women UK offered powerful reminders that achieving genuine gender equity requires the full participation of men.
The energy in the room was electric, reflecting the passion and commitment behind this report. It’s a milestone made possible by the collaborative efforts of many, and I’m excited to continue this journey with such prominent people.
You can download the report from https://www.womenonboardscic.com/wobcicreport2025.