Capacity Building for GAP Implementation in ECA Region
Brussels, Oct. 20-22, 2008
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
EU ACTIONS FOR
ENABLING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Reinhard KLEIN
Head of Unit, Entrepreneurship
European
Commission
PROMOTING WOMEN ENTERPRENEURS
IS WISE AND NECESSARY.
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
• Lisbon strategy:
 ensure that proportion of women in active employment
exceeds 60% by 2010
• EU: on average, 30% of entrepreneurs are women. .
• The entrepreneurial potential of women constitutes a source of
economic growth and of new jobs.
• Women often face greater difficulties than men in starting up
businesses and in accessing finance and training.
• Therefore, it is essential to provide women the conditions and
support they need to start-up and manage an own enterprise:
European
Commission
Access to finance, Information and Exchange, Assistance
THE WAY TO IMPROVEMENT
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
Systematic intervention should tackle:
-
contextual obstacles (i.e. running informative events and
providing entrepreneurship training in schools and universities,
challenging stereotypes by raising awareness on women’s
contribution in entrepreneurship.),
-
economic obstacles (i.e. access to capital to develop and
growth their business ideas), and
-
soft obstacles: lack of access to business networks, lack of
business training, role models and entrepreneurship skills.
Nature and type of challenges are
consistent across Member States.
European
Commission
EUROPEAN NETWORK TO PROMOTE
WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP (WES)
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
 Cooperation and exchange of experience
• Exists since June 2000.
• Composed of government representatives responsible for
the promotion of women entrepreneurship.
• 30 members from EU, EEA and candidate countries.
• Raising the visibility of existing women entrepreneurs &
create a climate favourable to woman entrepreneurs.
European
Commission
• Increase the number of new women entrepreneurs & the
size of existing women-led businesses.
WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP PORTAL
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
• Links to websites of women entrepreneurs’ representative
organisations, networks, projects and events that relate to
the promotion of female entrepreneurship.
• Information on 5 issues:
 National organisations of women entrepreneurs
 International organisations of women entrepreneurs
 Networks
 Projects
 Events related to women entrepreneurship
European
Commission
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE SBA
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
1.
Creation of an EU Network for Women Entrepreneur
Ambassadors.
2.
Mentoring schemes for women to set-up their own
business. (MS)
3.
Encourage entrepreneurship amongst women graduates.
4.
Enable state aid for small enterprises newly created by
female entrepreneurs. (first 5yrs)
 Block exemption
moreover …
• Exchange views with relevant policy stakeholders
European
Commission
• Raise the visibility of female entrepreneurship
EU GENDER EQUALITY POLICY (DG EMPL)
AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
1. Policy making






Equal Economic Independence
Reconciliation of Work, Private and Family Life
Equal Participation in Decision-Making
Eradicating Gender-based Violence and Trafficking
Eliminating Gender Stereotypes in Society
Promoting of Gender Equality Outside the EU
2. Investigation and Information
 European institute for gender equality (Vilnius)
European
Commission
3. Financial instruments: ESF = two-folded approach
 gender mainstreaming + specific measures
(e.g. relevant training / coaching for women)
Community Programme PROGRESS
(m€ 743 for 2007-2013, of which m€ 89 for Gender equality)
EU REGIONAL POLICY
AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
Entrepreneurship issues covered:
•
access to finance and support services,
•
regional partnership: businesses, public authorities, research institutions, others,
•
(inter)regional cooperation: clusters, networks.
Women entrepreneurship: dual approach  gender mainstreaming + specific actions
e.g.  childcare and care for dependent persons,
 accessibility to employment areas / transport: bus stops, timetables, security … ,
 access to finance for female entrepreneurs.
Concrete examples
micro-loans for women entrepreneurs [FI, IT ],
incubators for female-owned start-ups/SMEs, with coaching/support services [DE]
networks of female entrepreneurs [HU, ES],
network of administrations [GenderAlp].
Important practical issues to be successful
•
integrated approach at local / regional level + work in partnership,
•
combining targeted measures and gender mainstreaming in the other measures,
•
relevant indicators for monitoring and evaluation.
European
Commission
All EU countries in the EAC Region fall under the Convergence objective.
EU RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY
AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
Also includes measures to develop entrepreneurship regarding the
quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy.
•
•
•
•
Diversification into non-agricultural activities
Support for business creation and development of micro-enterprises
 establishment and development: investment support (aid intensity linked to national
regional investment aid ) and other types of support
Encouragement of tourism activities
Basic services –( ICT networks) and Training
Goal: to foster dynamic entrepreneurship in rural areas, while promoting
equality between men and women + gender mainstreaming
.
 When promoting training, information and entrepreneurship, the particular needs
of – among others – women are considered.
 Selection criteria give priority or bonus point to women’s application.
 Leader+ initiative: at decision making level local action groups must include rural
women representatives.
Examples:
•
•
European
Commission
•
development of childcare infrastructure, potentially in combination with initiatives to
encourage the creation of small businesses related to rural activities and local services,
measures tailor-made for women, such as flexible learning opportunities or recreational
services for women,
aid for the establishment and development of micro-enterprises founded by women and
development of related economic associations.
Beneficiaries: female starters of micro-enterprises with co-operation of female-run microenterprises in agriculture or the rural economy.
Capacity Building for GAP Implementation in ECA Region
Brussels, Oct. 20-22, 2008
WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP PORTAL
Enterprise
and
Industry
DirectorateGeneral
http://europa.eu.int/comm/womenentr.htm
THE EUROPEAN NETWORK TO PROMOTE WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP : WES
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/entrepreneurship/craft/craft-women/wes.htm
ENTERPRISE EUROPE NETWORK
http://www.enterprise-europe-network.ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm
ONLINE TOOL FOR SME FUNDING
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sme/fund_tools/fund_tools_theme_en.htmm
DG EMPL / equality between women and men
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/gender_equality/index_en.html
PROGRESS http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/progress/index_en.html
DG REGIO publication on Gender mainstreaming and regional development (examples)
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/panorama/pdf/mag22/mag22_en.pdf
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
European
Commission