Theresa May, the home secretary, will soon announce plans to provide the support of 5,000 mentors to women starting or growing their own business.
According to the Press Association, May has implied that the support provided by these mentors could help break down some of the barriers facing women at the top.
She argued: "For too long, as a country, we have failed to make the most of the skills, experience and talents of women. We've made a good start but there are still barriers to women's progression and we are confronting them."
Not only will this benefit the women - who could receive everything from leadership training to advice on raising finance - but the UK as a whole, May added.
"Better use of women's skills could be worth billions of pounds to our economy each year," she revealed. "If women started businesses at the same rate as men, there would be an additional 150,000 extra start-ups each year in the UK."
The home secretary also confirmed that the support offered by these mentors - who will all be acting as volunteers - will be geared specifically towards women's needs. She explained that often, these are different to those of men; typically centered around things like having enough self-confidence and striking the right work-life balance.
Cited by Ft.com, May concluded: "We want the UK to be the best place in the world to start and grow a business...women can be at the heart of that."
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