Thematic Network

WEEDWomen, Enterprise and Employment in Local

Development

1° Steering Group MeetingPhase II

Brussels 26/27 March 2009

European Commission

Structure of presentation

WEED and the European questions Local mapping and shared themes Local mapping - enterprise, knowledge

economy and employment Recommendations for LAPs How can TN work help? A two way activity

Baseline Report - Europe

Limited scope of change in Europe Non recognition of women’s key role in sectors that

can affect city’s attraction - service and science - skilled and unskilled

Underdevelopment of infrastructure for women’s contribution to growth

Few women scientists outside the academy Lack of integration between growth and jobs agenda

and equalities agenda

Baseline Report - local mapping

Shared problems, shared agendas

Potential for WEED to – Provide ideas on which policies and interventions

work – Show how interventions can be implemented

locally – Develop cycle of action, reflection and evidence-

informed change for local and European level

Our three sub themes/ areas for action

Effective support for women’s locally relevant entrepreneurial activity is necessary to increase the market integration of women and reduce the risk of gender inequalities in self employment

Improving the ways that women can gain and translate formal science/ technical qualifications into employment assets would enable more women to enter higher level occupations in the ICT and knowledge intensive sectors

Improving the quality of work for women in private and social enterprise sectors is necessary to make cities more attractive places to live and invest in.

Clusters

Shared interest around all three sub themes BUT

Clustering offers chance to address local priorities more effectively

Clusters reflect strengths and weaknesses, possibilities and problems

May be useful way to focus ideas of possible project proposal outcomes

Enterprise mapping - change desired

1. Using enterprise as way of labour market insertion

2. Municipal commitment to increasing participation of women in economic development and planning, and improved municipal support for women entrepreneurs

3. Better support for small social enterprises at and beyond start up, and for women entrepreneurs in city’s growth areas

4. Increased confidence amongst girls and women to set up and run SMEs, and better promotion of women’s entrepreneurship and confidence in entrepreneurial capacity

Cluster: Karvina, Crotone, Enna, Medway

City Key problem Lessons to share Change desired Alzira 53% of grants for self employed went to women 2005

Lack of specialised, integrated support for self employment

Declining interest in self employment with recession

Servizio Infodona (business advice for women)

IDEA Š local development agency Š award winning for support to entrepreneurs

Actions to increase teleworking

Using enterprise as way of labour market insertion

Amiens 33% of new starts were by women 2006

Stereotypes. Early learning that ‘business is not for women’

ADIE – NGO that finances entrepreneurs the unemployed who wish to become self employed

RESEAU – NGO start up support for women

Improved programme for schools

Celje Self employment for women lower than European average

Women tend to run only small businesses.

Low tradition of female entrepreneurs

Poor conditions for some self employed

Innovative municipal support for women to access finance

Slovenia plays significant regional role in promoting women entrepreneurship

Increased confidence amongst women to set up and run SMEs

Supporting women entrepreneurs in rural areas

Crotone ** 26% of self employed are women 2006

Difficult to balance business and family – keeps businesses smaller than women want

Women’s innate skills underused

City’s past capacity to survive economic downturns

Municipal commitment to increasing participation of women in economic development and planning

Increase recognition of women as source of economic dynamism

Enna ** 27% of self employed are women 2007

Administrative complexity

Family load

Sole traders find it difficult to trade up

Better support for small social enterprises at and beyond start up

Using enterprise as way of labour market insertion

Karvina ** 39% of self employed are women

Low level of entrepreneurial activity amongst those with lower educational qualifications

Stereotyping of women’s capacities

Reduction of start up funding

START – interest free credits for start ups

New areas of enterprise – baby sitting, after school care

RPIC – mentoring programmes for new entrepreneurs

Improving municipal support for women entrepreneurs

Improved partnership between public and private sector support

Medway ** 30% of self employed are women

Business start ups amongst women are half that of men’s

Development of new Women’s Business Centre

South East Ambassadors Network

Taktix - Online business start up development tool

Creating and sustaining entrepreneurs amongst socially and economically disadvantaged women

Using enterprise as way of labour market insertion

Santiago 30% of self employed are women (Spanish figures) Self employment of women largely in service sector and agriculture

Economic slowdown

Poor conditions for some self employed

Lack of specific programmes aimed at creating women entrepreneurship

Project to foster women entering labour market and creation of business through financial subsidies

Better promotion of women’s entrepreneurship and confidence in entrepreneurial capacity

Increasing support beyond start up

Umea Higher number of men than women self-employed in Sweden - divergence increased since 200 Substantial increase of self-employed workers in the education and healthcare sectors, which traditionally have been managed by the public sector

Difficult to change attitude of the ‘business man’

Special loans for smaller ‘women’s businesses’

National programme of ambassadors for women’s entrepreneurship

Change attitudes in financing towards women and men’s business

Municipal based programmes to increase women’s and girls self confidence in business area

Recommend Local Action Plans focus on actions to:-

Increase women’s presence in better paid work at time of global and local economic crisis

Develop local plan for resources to reconcile work and family life Measures to overcome stereotypes of men and women’s work

and family roles where the traditional industry base is changing Measures to make partnerships between Municipality and NGOs

more effective in improving types of jobs and career development for women

Do we want to concentrate on fewer?

How can TN exchange help?

By exploring experiences of:- – Tools and agencies that increase women’s involvement in

private and social enterprise at times of economic growth and stagnation

– Effective partnerships between public, NGO and private sector in supporting women’s enterprise (municipalities, banks, enterprise agencies)

– Methods used to develop new areas for women’s enterprise (e.g. artistic artefacts allied to tourism, agro food industry, new media, care, heritage)

– (Programmes to break stereotypes of ‘women and business’)

City Key problem Lessons to share Change desired Alzira

No higher education facility

Underutilisation of IT by small businesses

IT programmes for rural women

Improved skills of business management

Amiens

Technological and science sector is not yet major employer of women

Value of women’s ‘knowledge’ under recognised

APEC Š agency helping managers find job

Celje **

Under employment of women with higher level qualifications

Under-development of knowledge economy to expand opportunities for rural women

Rapid, recent development in technological and educational field

ICT training for lower level workers

Better employment and entrepreneurial rate for graduates

Better connections between rural economy and knowledge sector

Crotone

High increase in women graduates but scarce in knowledge economy outside Unis

Women less likely to use IT in businesses

Memorandum of understanding between Ministry and Unis to value gender perspective in scientific research

Increased capacity for women to enter and progress in Knolwedge economy

Enna

Lower rates of pay and promotion for women graduates

City expertise in promoting womenÕs position in science and technology

Karvina

Women who work in KE sector find it interesting and flexible but generally it is not a preferred sector for women

Large range of basic to medium level IT/ admin software courses

Medway

Knowledge economy has not yet played part in changing women’s place local economy despite expansion of colleges and Universities

Access to technology programmes for women developing businesses

Improved match between skills learning and new opportunities in knowledge based economy

Santiago **

Low representation of women in new economy

Professionally qualified women underutilised

Development of technological and science parks

Extended knowledge on female participation in science and technology

Stronger women’s contribution to innovation

Umea **

Universities very important part of city economy but women’s part in knowledge economy largely limited to health

ICT training generally unable to support growth of knowledge economy in city

National loans for ICT in small businesses

Experience of Municipality and University working together to research possibilities for making women entrepreneurs in rural hinterland of city more efficient

Increased involvement of educated women’s involvement in entrepreneurial activity

More women entering full time positions in research and work in geo-technology and foresting

Recommend Local Action Plans focus on actions to:-

Co-ordinate municipal and private sector support for women graduate clusters

Create or develop closer links between IT and entrepreneurship programmes

Improve match between skills learning and new opportunities in knowledge based economy – in city and rural areaDo we want to concentrate on fewer?

How can TN exchange help?

By exploring experiences of:-

Experience of Municipality and University working together to research possibilities for making women entrepreneurs in rural hinterland of city more efficient

Developing technological and science parks and examining how that could draw more on women’s skills

ICT training for lower level workers entering knowledge intensive industries

Mapping jobs - change desired

1. Better conciliation of work and family life locally

2. Increased support to enhance social enterprises as a source of employment, partic in areas of deprivation

3. Improved career possibilities for women working in the private and NGO sectors

Cluster: Amiens, Alzira

City Key problem Lessons to share Change desired Alzira **

Young womenÕs low rate of employment

Lack of well paid , full time job opportunities for women

Financial incentives to employers

IDEA Š agency funding job formation and work experience programmes

Guide to resources for reconciling family and work life

How to increase women’s presence i n better paid work at time of global and local economic crisis

Better resources for reconciling work and family life

Amiens **

Women with children most vulnerable to market changes

Lack of well paid , full time job opportunities for women

National plan to support womenÕs employment

Childcare for working parents

PLIE Š programme of LMI for furthest from labour market

Schools programme to change attitudes

Changed stereotypes of men and women’s work and family roles in a city where the traditi onal industry base is changing

Better partnerships between Municipality and NGOs to improve types of jobs and career development for women

Celje

Gender specific sectors – women ‘trapped’ in public sector

Few opportunities for on the job training

Strong public sector commitment to gender equality

Changed attitudes of private sector to employing women

Increased numbers of women in male dominated sectors

Crotone

Women only represent 25% of employed labour force

Parental leave implementation

Developed directives on equality

ESF projects to promote equality in employment

Raised female employment in dynamic sectors of economy

Increased participation of women in decision making process

Enna

Lack of well paid , full time job opportunities for women in private sector

Lack of synergy between stakeholders

Municipal guidelines

NGO involvement

Improved information about choices in the labour market

Karvina

Higher rates of unemployment for women

Multi shift work

Special motivation programmes for short and long term unemaployed

Increased numbers of women in male dominated sectors

Increased childcare

Medway

Growing unemployment 2007- lower skilled women most likely to suffer

Shift from low to high skills economy leaving women behind

Partnership between Skills Council, Economic Development Agency and local authorities on wide range of growth and regeneration

disadvantaged

Implementation of Women’s Business Centre to support needs of socially and economically disadvantaged women

Wider range of employer engagement programmes

Wider use of online resources for employment support

Santiago

Difficult to solve precarious working conditions because of economic slowdown

Measures to increase rate of young people in work

Local Industry plan

Improved access to promotion for women

Umea

Lack of full time rather than part time jobs for women

Lack of opportunities for immigrant women

Extreme segregation in jobs market

Experience of gender mainstreaming in municipal planning

Programmes promoting women’s self esteem

Improved mentoring programmes

Provision of support for agencies to implement gender mainstreaming

Recommend Local Action Plans focus on actions to:-

Create and sustain entrepreneurship amongst socially and economically disadvantaged women as means of labour market insertion and economic development

Develop better municipal level support for women’s entry and retention in newer areas of entrepreneurial activities

Encourage and sustain training programmes at different ages and stages to change attitude

Do we want to concentrate on fewer?

How can TN exchange help?

By exploring experiences of:- – Developing information and actual resources for reconciling

family and work life – The introduction and implementation of official ( municipal,

national , legal) commitment to gender equality in employment and labour market insertion programmes

– Developing special motivation programmes for short and long term unemployed women of different ages and educational levels.

– Developing financial incentives for and partnerships between Skills Council, Economic Development Agencies and local authorities to develop strategy incorporating gender into economic regeneration initiatives.

A two way activity

Wider outcomes of WEED Providing ideas for policies and interventions Showing how interventions can be implemented

locally Developing cycle of action, reflection and evidence-

informed change for local and European level

For further information

Gill Scott Lead Expert – Emeritus Professor - School of Law

and Social Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University gill.wilmot1@btinternet.com orJmsc@gcal.ac.uk