Women are likely to encounter greater business opportunities in the voluntary sector than in the public and private sectors, according to a new report from the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC). 

According to the report, women make up 67 per cent of the workforce in the voluntary sector. The figure is marginally lower in the public sector at 64 per cent. But it drops by more than a quarter in the private sector, where the rate of women in the workforce is only 40 per cent. 

Further, women represent 50 per cent of managers in the voluntary sector compared to 46 per cent in the public sector and 24 per cent in private sector positions.

Steve McKay, a researcher at the TRSC, said: “It is encouraging that the voluntary sector, whilst small, seems to provide opportunities for women to advance to management positions.

“Of course these figures don’t tell the whole story. We need to better understand the role of mitigating factors such as ethnicity and social class in determining pay and career success.

“Further research will be undertaken by TSRC to help understand the motivations and experiences of a range of people working within the sector, including their career objectives.”