Royal Bank of Scotland : Female entrepreneurs in South of England most likely to be labelled as ‘overbearing’, a ‘working mum’ or ‘ruthless’

The research also explored how these comments affected female entrepreneurs across the UK. Encouragingly, over a third (35 percent) of those surveyed ignored any negative comments or didn't care about them. However, 26 percent of respondents in the South said they were made more self-conscious as a result of their experience and 22 percent were upset or angry.

Julie Baker, Head of Enterprise for Business Banking at NatWest, said: 'While it is clear that a high percentage of women are still experiencing gender specific challenges it is fantastic to see more female entrepreneurs rising above any negative stereotyping and being more determined than ever to succeed regardless. Therefore it is vital to the UK economy that we do all we can to encourage more women to be confident in their skills, champion their strength and to start new businesses.'

Sarah Turner added: 'There is a deep-rooted inequality of attitudes that needs to change, and I am heartened that many of the women who face a challenging attitude are fiercely determined not to let it hold them back.'

To provide support, NatWest has more than 400 Women in Business specialists throughout the UK. These specialists are accredited by the Chartered Banker in conjunction with Everywoman, an organisation that provides resources and services to support women who are starting or growing their businesses. Through these dedicated business experts, customers have access to their hands-on expertise, unique business insight, training and opportunities to create valuable connections. Find out more by visiting the NatWest Women in Business website.