Women’s Entrepreneurship – a job creation
engine for South East Europe
Project Proposal developed by the RCC in
cooperation with UNECE
Istanbul, 21-22 September, 2010
Background
Women remain currently the world’s most
underutilized resource. Gender inequality remains
a big issue within labor markets globally. Women
suffer considerable disadvantages in terms of
access to labor markets. They also face constraints
in terms of sectors of economic activity in which
they participate. Women are also often in a
disadvantaged position in terms of the share of
vulnerable employment (own-account, unpaid
family work). In the region of SEE, although many
women have benefited from the increased
economic opportunities, still most women work in
lower-paid, part-time or irregular jobs.
1. Beneficiaries
Regional Cooperation Council members from
South East Europe:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia,
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Turkey, UNMIK/Kosovo
2. Partners
Joint project proposal of the Regional Cooperation
Council (RCC) and the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Implementing partners:
Gender Task Force (GTF) and South East European
Center for Enterpreneurial Learning (SEECEL).
Supporting agencies: European Training Foundation
(ETF), Ancona Chamber of Commerce.
Donors: Initial activities – RCC and Turkey, next
phase (under negotiations) Sweden (SIDA), etc.
3. Aim
The project aims at supporting women
entrepreneurs in South East European countries
who intend to expand and/or innovate their
activities and who are put at risk by the current
economic and financial crisis.
- The project emphasizes that women’s
entrepreneurship could play a significant role in
reviving economic growth and job creation.
- The activities of the project are designed to
respond to main difficulties and constraints and
foster women’s entrepreneurial and innovative
potential.
4. Objectives
1. Improve women’s access to networking
opportunities;
2. Improve policies related to women
entrepreneurs;
3. Develop and test policy indicators for women’s
entrepreneurship;
4. Facilitate women’s access to credit by
establishing innovative ways of financing;
5. Improve women’s skills and capacity on how to
develop their businesses and access financing.
5. Steps undertaken so far
1. Approaching possible interested partners, donors and
stakeholders (since June 2009).
2. Workshop on Enhancing Women Entrepreneurship in SEE, a
kick off meeting organised in Sarajevo, on October 1st, 2009, by
the RCC and other interested partners to further discuss financing
and implementation modalities.
3. Follow-up of the kick off meeting organized by the RCC in
cooperation with UNECE on December 11th, 2009.
4. Organized with the Turkish Chairmanship in Office of the SEECP
the Forum of Women Entrepreneurs from Southeastern Europe,
held in Istanbul, on September 21-22, 2010, aiming to discuss
main aspects of the project: issues addressed, scope, etc, as well
as to establish the network of women entrepreneurs in the SEE.