In the opening address, the Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality, Meho Omerovic, pointed out the statistical data demonstrating that there was no equal representation of both genders in the sphere of working and social life and stressed that the development of women entrepreneurship was hindered by many factors, among them most often the problem of startup capital, balancing familial and professional obligations, distrust of women in managerial positions and fear of risk-taking. The National Assembly and the Committee on Human and Minority Rights and Gender Equality will offer full support to the efforts undertaken to promote women entrepreneurship in Serbia, said Omerovic, adding that the Committee is ready to cooperate will all civic organisations in order to stimulate the social and economic empowerment of women in Serbia.
The President of the Fund for Social and Democratic Initiatives, Natasa Milojevic, spoke of the existing legislative framework regulating the sphere of entrepreneurship, the potentials for its improvement and the role the MPs, policy-makers, state institutions and organisations should play in the process.
The results of the research into women entrepreneurship were presented by Prof. Dr Marija Babovic who informed the participants about the context and profile of women entrepreneurs, regional distribution of women entrepreneurs and their socio-demographic and entrepreneurial profile.
The experts of Danube Insurance Company presented the opportunities and perspectives insurance offers as regards starting up a business of one’s own.
MP Teodora Vlahovic spoke of the financial support offered to women entrepreneurs by the Republic of Serbia Development Fund at the local, regional and national level. It was pointed out that this was the first stimulative measure of this kind to be offered at the level of the Republic and that next year’s budget has funds earmarked for the development of women entrepreneurship.
The second part of the workshop focused on social entrepreneurship and cooperatives as opportunities for entrepreneurship and creative entrepreneurship, as well as a project as an example in the sphere of recycling and public works.
In the course of the discussion the participants exchanged their experiences in the sphere of entrepreneurship and shared suggestions about how the existing situation could be improved.
Representatives of the Women’s Centre Uzice, Association for Women’s Initiatives, Institute for the Improvement of Education and Upbringing of the Republic of Serbia, Regional Chamber of Commerce Krusevac, Serbian women entrepreneurs and MPs Milica Dronjak, Vera Paunovic and Zlata Djeric also took part in the workshop.