Championing women's enterprise across the Government.

Women and enterprise are here to stay. That was the message being put out by the Government last week when the Chancellor announced in his pre-budget report the establishment of a national Women's Enterprise Task Force, which will sit alongside the Women's Enterprise Panel.

The task force will perform the vital role of championing and driving women's enterprise across Government.

Budget 2005 welcomed the action plan to increase women's business ownership in the UK. From spring 2006 the Task Force on Women's Enterprise will work with Government and the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), over three years, to increase levels of female entrepreneurship by accelerating the implementation of this action plan.

To take the UK further towards US levels of entrepreneurship, the task force will undertake a number of key initiatives such as ensuring every regional economic strategy includes a plan to increase women's enterprise rates, and that all RDAs have a strategy for incorporating women-friendly business support into mainstream provision.

Although almost a million women run their own businesses in the UK, women are still the most significant under-represented group in business.

The good news is that, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the North-East is one of the three regions that has seen the highest increase in women-owned businesses last year in part attributable to policy and support initiatives of organisations such as Women Into the Network (WIN) based at Durham Business School.

WIN is an award-winning networking initiative which facilitates the development of women's businesses. The project integrates women into existing and new business networks and bridges the gap between providers of business and professional support. WIN's activities include communications and publications, networking events, awards and role model promotion and research.

WIN recognise that women face considerable barriers when setting up and growing a business. Its role model publications such as Northern Lights and IF (Inspired Females) Only as well as the highly-acclaimed North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are helping to overcome those barriers, raising the profile of women, promoting inspirational role models and celebrating the achievements of our women entrepreneurs.

Lisa Vickers, Project Manager of Women Into the Network, stressed that WIN pride themselves on their member-driven and member-focussed policy.

"Our member-driven focus ensures that the events and campaigns are those seen as most important by our members. Ongoing research by our team and feedback from our members ensures that we continue to deliver a service that is tailored to their needs.

"This means, although WIN will still continue to support and capacity build those organisations supporting women start-ups, there will now be a set change focussing on growing businesses."

According to Lisa, WIN's 1,500 strong membership is growing all the time.

"The implementation of the Task Force can only be good news.

"We recognise that barriers still exist and there is still some way to go, but we look forward to working in partnership with One NorthEast and all our regional and national partners and agencies to help women flourish and boost our economy."

Visit the website at www.womenintothenetwork