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 far1. 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.