Exploring gender and social entrepreneurship: women's leadership, employment and participation in the third sector and social enterprises

Drawing upon existing data sources we explore gender differences in leadership, participation and employment in the third sector and social enterprises. We find that women are underrepresented as leaders of private sector social enterprises, but are more equally represented leading or initiating third sector organisations. Within third sector organisations, more women than men undertake paid work, hold lower managerial and professional positions, and volunteer, but men take up around half of higher status positions. The gender pay gap is narrower in the third sector than in other sectors, and is lowest for those in the highest managerial positions.