Women turning to entrepreneurship to fight age bias at work, study shows

A new European study suggests older women are rewriting the rules of work — turning to entrepreneurship not out of necessity, but as a route to independence, confidence and control in a job market that often sidelines experience

Older women are increasingly using entrepreneurship to overcome workplace ageism and turn experience into an advantage, according to new research from Aalto University School of Business.

The study, carried out in collaboration with Copenhagen Business School and Royal Holloway University of London, tracked the experiences of late-career female entrepreneurs in the UK over an 11-year period.

Based on in-depth interviews held in 2010, 2016 and 2020, the researchers found that women who faced shrinking career prospects were launching businesses to gain independence, confidence and control.

The study identifies four main motivations behind the shift. Many participants said a growing awareness of life’s limits spurred them to “challenge, instead of accept, dwindling job opportunities by launching their own ventures.” Others found that age itself became a resource — their accumulated skills and networks helped them gain credibility and solve problems.

Entrepreneurship also gave women a stronger sense of agency, allowing them to redefine power dynamics and take on mentoring roles. Most said they gained “a sense of pride from setting and achieving their own goals” and from pursuing work that had personal meaning, though some who later stopped trading reported a loss of identity and confidence.

The findings come as the UK prepares to raise the female state pension age to 67 between 2026 and 2028, a move that could leave many older women seeking new ways to remain active in the workforce.

“Older women struggling with reduced job opportunities can turn their age into an advantage and achieve autonomy through launching their own ventures,” the researchers said.

The study, led by Associate Professor Ewald Kibler, appears in the journal Entrepreneurship & Regional Development.

READ MORE: ‘Study links CEO political views to recognition of women inventors’. New research from UCD Smurfit School finds firms led by conservative chief executives are less likely to credit women as inventors – though high-status leaders face scrutiny that reduces the effect/

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