Transcript INTERREG III 2000-2006

WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE NETWORK
OF CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
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“Forget China, India and the internet: economic growth is driven by women” (The
Economist – 12 April 2006)
Goldman Sachs, the leading investment bank, is one of those now using the term
“womenomics” to sum up the force that women represent as guarantors of growth.
Harvard Business Review quotes: “Talent management: there’s not hotter topic in
HBS’s portfolio, for the obvious, overwhelming reason that in the knowledge
economy of the 21° century will always be the scarcest of scarce resources”
Women represent: talent, energy, management capacity and connection capacities
(“Why women mean business” – Paris…)
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Evaluation on policy: promotion of women innovators and entrepreneurship
(submitted by the E E C (GHK, Technopolis) to the DG Enterprise on the 25th July 2008)
Only 8.3% of patents awarded by the European Patent Office are awarded to women
Only 20.3% of businesses started with venture capital belong to female entrepreneurs
 Innovation of product: 13.9% of women compared to 14.5% of men; of process: 4.1% of women
compared to 7.8% of men; of organization: 5.2% of women compared to 6.5% of men; of marketing: 9.1%
of women compared to 10.45% of men.
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14
12
10
women
men
8
6
4
2
0
product
process
organization
marketing
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DATA ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Only 5% - 15% of high tech business is owned by women, while
More than in other sectors women entrepreneurs in this business
face:
 contextual obstacles – science & technology are concepts mainly
associated with men;
 economic obstacles – difficulties in accessing finance;
 soft obstacles – lack of access to relevant technical, scientific and
business networks.
Women in high growth areas tend to be older and more educated,
but they lack female role models, access to subtsantial economic
resources as venture capital and likewise difficulties in becoming
credible entrepreneurs.
Women Entrepreneurs in Business and Decision Making (Eurochambres survey August 2004)
The obstacles that most women face in the day to day running of their business are
similar to those they encountered when starting a business. Liquidities and financial
questions come first again at 49.9%, closely followed by combining work and family
life at 45.0%. The third biggest obstacle for the respondents is the lack of time for
training, or upgrading their skills (27.7%). The number of women facing no problems
in the daily running of their businesses is lower than for the start up period, as 12.3
% declared not facing any obstacles.
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
5
liquidity
work &family
no time for
others
no obstacles
gaining
The network of the Chambers of Commerce either at European and at national
level has set up significant initiatives to support women entrepreneurs.
At European level EUROCHAMBRES (European association of 41 national Chambers
of Commerce and Industry – 15 million member enterprises) has constituted
a formal Women Network addressing the specific needs of working
women and of women entrepreneurs.
Concrete projects:
“CHASE” - CHambers Against Stereotypes in Employment (2005) - has investigated
gender stereotypes that hinder women from becoming entrepreneurs or working in
typical “male” jobs;
“Women in Business and in Decision Making” - initiatives that the different Chambers
have implemented and actively pursued in favor of women entrepreneurship, mainly:
enterprise start-ups, access to finance, and the reconciliation of work and family.
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The Italian Network of Chambers of Commerce
In 1999, Unioncamere signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Ministry of Industry, which gave birth to the creation of the
Committees for the Promotion of Women Entrepreneurship. So far, 100
local Chambers have set up the Committees for the promotion of women
entrepreneurship, which have become the instruments
for putting into practice law 215/92 for the internationalization of
enterprises, the creation and coordination of the Committees, and the
development and monitoring of regional programs for female enterprises.
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Some data in the Italian panorama of women entrepreneurship
A positive sign of womens‘ entrepreneurship in Italy:
in 2008 women entrepreneurs have reached a total number of
1.243.824 (+ 0,45% compared to 2007).
Total
numb
er of
comp
anies
Compa
nies
owned
by
women
Compani
es owned
by
women/t
otal of
compani
es
Women
companies
of one
sector on
the total of
the sectors
897.637
263.334
29,3
21,2
-6.394
-2,37
11.509
1.488
12,9
0,1
3
0,20
3.895
446
11,5
0,0
-3
-0,67
623.279
126.115
20,2
10,1
-767
-0,60
3.558
291
8,2
0,0
40
15,94
782.847
46.483
5,9
3,7
2.851
6,53
1.407.946
387.770
27,5
31,2
-1.947
-0,50
Restaurants
265.715
89.494
33,7
7,2
1.480
1,68
Transport & Communication
186.734
23.183
12,4
1,9
2.115
9,33
Financial intermediaries
104.864
24.775
23,6
2,0
819
3,50
Real estate, ICT, R&D
575.144
143.527
25,0
11,5
6.132
4,46
Education
18.825
6.129
32,6
0,5
142
2,37
Health and Social Services
24.751
10.451
42,2
0,8
484
4,86
228.678
112.431
49,2
9,0
1.392
1,25
34
7.907
--
--
1.048
15,30
5.169.084
1.243.82
4
24,1
100,0
5.523
80,45
Agricolture
Fisheries
Mines
Manufactures
Energy
Constructions
Trade
Other social & public services
Non-classifies companies
TOTALE
Ratio
June 2008 June 2007
Var. %
June
2008/
June
2007
Innovative actions of the Italian Network of Women Committees
at the Chambers of Commerce
The network of the Chambers has proposed a legislative decree to the
Parliament on the promotion of equal opportunities within the Chambers‘ board.
Part of the funds of the Chamber will be dedicated to the institution of a
„womens‘ entrepreneurship counter“
From the 30th of June to the 15th of July there will be organized an itinerant rally
„The Tour of Italy of women entrepreneurs“, which will deal with: „innovation and
creativity“, „financing“, „work & life balance“.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
Marilena Berardo
Head Office – Italian Chamber of
Commerce for Switzerland
Rue du Cendrier, 12-14
1211 Geneva
Tel.: 022 9068595, fax: 022 9068599
E-mail: [email protected]
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