A single mother of three and budding businesswoman has spoken about the difficulty women in business face when it comes to finance.

Sajida Hussain, of Puddingstone Drive in St Albans, runs a baking business from her kitchen table.

On Friday, January 15, MEP Richard Howitt visited her home to hear for himself the challenges facing a small business owner in St Albans.

As the leading member for ethical business at the European Parliament, Mr Howitt has already campaigned for women’s rights in business, including reducing the gender pay and pension gap for more transparency on corporate pay.

Ms Hussain described to Mr Howitt how difficult it is for her to get a business loan and the struggle she faces making ends meet.

She said: “I am a low income earner and receiving working tax credits, but I have a popular and viable business that I would love to grow.

“But I need someone to have some faith in me and give me the opportunity to repay a bank loan over a period of three to five years so I can invest in equipment and supplies."

“I need people to see that I exist.”

St Albans & Harpenden Review:

One of Ms Hussain's cakes

This week, in the European Parliament, Mr Howitt will be leading calls for tougher laws after research has found woman face discrimination in accessing finance with women far less likely to receive bank support than men.

The Labour MEP said: “Entrepreneurs are vital for creating jobs, yet too few of those who are self-employed are women.

“Many women become entrepreneurs out of necessity as it allows them to combine work while caring for their children and those women who take a leap of faith say entrepreneurship makes it easier to work from home.

Yet there are too many obstacles for women when it comes to accessing finance from banks or lenders and support for childcare.

“European laws of course forbid discrimination when it comes to bank loans but there does appear to be some evidence that indirect discrimination and stigma is still attached to female entrepreneurship.”

Average incomes for self-employed women have fallen each year under the Conservative and coalition governments, with the average income for a self-employed woman now at just more than £6,000 a year.

The Royal Bank of Scotland estimate that £60 billion could be lost from the UK economy by 2030 if more women do not enter business.

To find out more about Ms Hussain's cake business, visit www.facebook.com/Tastybuttercupcakes or call 07923 279702.