promoting women entrepreneurship in europe

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in Europe

25 November 2014

Anna Danti

Unit D1

Entrepreneurship & Social Economy

European CommissionEnterprise and Industry

The EU citizens are less eager to be entrepreneurs...Answer to the question “Do you prefer to be self employed or an entrepreneur to being an employee?”

37%

51%

56%

There is a lesser appetite for entrepreneurship in Europe compared with our main competitors

Women have huge entrepreneurial potential

-Female entrepreneurship is about economic growth,creation of jobs and empowerment of women (If UK hadsame rate of WE as US: 900,000 more businesses and 1 Billion £ value added)

-In some countries and areas may include gender equalityissues

-Women enterprise differently than men (access to finance,training, networking, markets)

STUDY ON STATISTICAL DATA OF WE IN EUROPE

• EU-28 + Albania, FYROM, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Turkey

• In 2012 Europe-37: • 40.6 million entrepreneurs in Europe-37• 29% women entrepreneurs (11.6 million)• In 2008: 30%

Decline of 1% between 2008 and 2012 in Europe-37• In 2012 EU-28:• 31% women entrepreneurs in EU-28 (10.3 million)• In 2008: 28%

Increase of 3% between 2008 and 2012 in EU-28

Countries with highest proportions of women entrepreneurs

Countries with lowest proportions of women entrepreneurs

Percentage of entrepreneurs in the active labour force

•Between 2003 and 2012: entrepreneurship rate for women increased slightly: 10% to 10.4%

•Entrepreneurship rate varies across Europe-37 and EU-28

Entrepreneurship Rate

2008 2012

Women Men Women Men

EU-28 10% 19% 10% 19%

Europe-37 10% 20% 10% 20%

Countries with highest entrepreneurship rates for women

Countries with lowest entrepreneurship rates for women

Various reasons for entrepreneurs choosing to work part-time in their enterprises: having another job, household responsibilities, need for leisure time, illness or disability, advanced age, and study.

Part-time entrepreneurs

Part-time entrepreneurs

2008 2012

Women Men Women MenEU-28 29% 10% 30% 12%Europe - 37 29% 10% 31% 12%

Countries with highest proportions of part-time entrepreneurs

• Women entrepreneurs are more highly represented than men in the sectors:

o Human health and social work activities: 60%o Other services: 59%o Education: 55%

Less than half of entrepreneurs active in the education sector were women in: Albania, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Hungary, Malta, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey

Professional, scientific and technical activities sector: dominated by women entrepreneurs in Bulgaria, Latvia and Slovakia.

The financial and insurance sector: dominated by women entrepreneurs in Hungary and Slovakia.

Characteristics: Sectors

Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan: actions by Commission and at all levels (national, regional, local) in 3 action pillars

Entrepreneurship education

Environment where entrepreneurs flourish & grow

Awareness & outreach to specific groups

Present policy context

E-platform for WE• Europe-wide. On-line mentoring, advisory,

educational and business networking platform for aspiring/women entrepreneurs

• Information on access to finance and markets, events, including stakeholders and private schemes

• Bring on-line, deepen and expand the current national ambassadors and mentors networks

E-platform for WE• support women entrepreneurship at national

and regional level by promoting the exchange of best practices between Member State

• Feasibilty study(Sept.2014) shows big interest from women enterpreneurs

• Call for tenders to be published Dec 2014

• The e-platform will be up and running end 2015

Pilot Project ENBACreate a European Network of Business Angels for women entrepreneurs

Aim: raise awareness of Business Angels and increase alternative funding sources for women entrepreneurs

Call for proposals in second half of 2015

Holistic Approach

• Encourage and support women to build a career in entrepreneurship but, besides access to finance and access to business opportunities also…

• Create the environment that would enable women to reach their potential and become successful entrepreneurs by ensuring (inter alia):• a reconciliation of professional and

personal life • access to information and child care

facilities– tailored made training – networking- role models

Fight Stereotypes-Change Perceptions-Provide the means

Thank youStudy at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/women/index_en.htm

E-mail: anna.danti@ec.europa.eu