1. 1
CSR AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP:CSR AND FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP:
THE CONTRIBUTION TO GROWTH &THE CONTRIBUTION TO GROWTH &
EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT

2. 2
“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

3. 3
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
Women score less than men when assessing the level of innovation of their
own business (innovation of product: 13.9% women compared to 14.5% of men;
innovation of process: 4.1% women compared to 7.8% of men; innovation in the
organisation 5.2% of women compared to 6.5% of men; marketing innovation
9.1% women compared to 10.45% of men).

4. DATA ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Only 5% - 15% of high tech business is owned by women.
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.

5. 5
Moreover
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.

6. 6
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 formed
a formal Women Network addressing the specific needs of working
women and of women entrepreneurs.
Specific actions:
“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 Chamber s
have implemented and actively pursue in favor of women entrepreneurship, mainly:
enterprise start-ups, access to finance, and the reconciliation of work and family.

7. 7
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.
The Italian Network of Chambers of Commerce

8. 8

9. 9
ENCOURAGE INNOVATIONENCOURAGE INNOVATION
1st pillar:1st pillar:
EEntrepreneurship andntrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (EIP)Innovation Programme (EIP)
Objectives:Objectives:
Access to financeAccess to finance
SME cooperation and informationSME cooperation and information
Innovation and eco-innovationInnovation and eco-innovation
Entrepreneurship and innovation cultureEntrepreneurship and innovation culture
Enterprise and innovation related reformsEnterprise and innovation related reforms
Instruments:Instruments:
Financial instruments (equity and loan guarantees)Financial instruments (equity and loan guarantees)
Business support servicesBusiness support services
Innovation projects (sectors, clusters, networks, regional,Innovation projects (sectors, clusters, networks, regional,
technology transfer, services…)technology transfer, services…)
Policy analyses, development and coordinationPolicy analyses, development and coordination

10. 10
Under the SME Guarantee Facility (SMEGF), European Investment
Fund provides partial capped portfolio guarantees covering SME
financing. The overall objective is to improve access to finance for the
start-up and growth of SMEs, and investment in innovation activities,
including eco-innovation.
The SMEGF comprises of four business lines, known as "windows":
* Loan Guarantees cover portfolios of SME mid- to long-term debt
finance targeting SMEs with growth potential.
* Micro-Credit Guarantees cover portfolios of micro-credits to
encourage financial institutions to provide financing to micro -
enterprises, especially start-ups.
* Equity Guarantees cover portfolios of investments in SMEs in the
seed and start-up phases and mezzanine financing investments, to
help SMEs improve their financial structure and achieve business
transfers.
* Securitization: guarantees to support securitization transactions so
that financial institutions may mobilize additional debt financing for
SMEs. Such guarantees are granted against an undertaking by the
financial intermediary to mobilise part of the resulting resources for
additional SME financing.
ENCOURAGE INNOVATION:
SME Guarantee Facility (SMEGF)

11. 11
ENHANCE THE COMPETENCES FOR EMPLOYMENTENHANCE THE COMPETENCES FOR EMPLOYMENT
According to the study “Opportunity and Responsibility” (DG Enterprise,
November 2006) mainstreaming of CSR among SMEs means:
Attracting and retaining motivated and committed employees – especially
because the speed of market and technology change increases the need
for flexible and engaged staff. Good working conditions achieved by
responsible business practices and a participatory management style
usually have positive effects on staff morale and lead to a higher job
satisfaction and commitment to the firm. CSR may become an increasingly
important distinguishing factor for enterprises that face growing
competition to attract the best, high-skilled workers.
Developing and training staff. For instance, the staff or managers of an
enterprise can acquire new skills and competences through voluntary
engagement with the local community, and this can also result in
knowledge transfer and access to new information that benefits the
enterprise.

12. 12
ANSWER TO THE CHALLENGE OF DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIESANSWER TO THE CHALLENGE OF DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The European Social Agenda launched in 2005 focus on:
1. getting more people into better jobs, particularly through the European
Youth Initiative and supporting women in (re-)entering the labour market;
2. Fostering equal opportunities between women and men, for example by
setting up a gender institute. The European Institute for Gender
Equality will ensure: “[…] a multidimensional approach involving a
comprehensive mix of policy measures in all areas including notably
education, employment and career development, entrepreneurship,
equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, better reconciliation
between family and working life, including the provision of childcare
facilities, and balanced participation of women and men in political and
economic decision-making”.
If we look at the opinion of the Advisory Committee on Gender Issues, issued in
May 2007, the revision of the strategy for Growth and Jobs must take into
account the economic benefits to be gained by retaining women in the labour
market when they have started a family. Similarly to capitalize on investment in
female human capital, highly skilled and well educated women should be
enabled to progress to the highest levels within enterprises.

13. 13
ENHANCE THE WORKING CONDITIONSENHANCE THE WORKING CONDITIONS
The Advisory Committe gives also recommendations on the necessity to enhance
the guidelines of the Roadmap through the specific support of the Member
States. In particular guideline number eighteen of the Roadmap asks Member
States to promote a lifecycle approach including a focus on taking resolute action
to eliminate gender gaps in employment, unemployment and pay.
Member States are asked to stimulate and support planned and systematic
approaches at enterprise level to workplace equality and to family friendly
workplaces. Moreover they are encouraged to identify actions to address areas
such as: segregation of women into low paid and low skill areas of the economy
and occupation, the gender pay gap, the over-representation of women in part
time employment, the limited presence of women in senior management
positions, inadequate access to childcare and family friendly working
arrangements, the unequal sharing of caring and domestic responsibilities
between women and men and the low level of women entrepreneurs.

14. 14
CONCLUSIONS – CONFERENCE
OF GENDER EQUALITY EXPERTS ON EMPLOYABILITY AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP (Lisbon, 4 October 2007)
It is necessary to:
• encourage women entrepreneurs through vocational training, financial
measures, organizational networks, meetings and sharing of good practices;
• to foster increased public aid to access credit and micro-credit, not only
for women who are undertaking an economic activity for the first time, but also
for those activities already created;
• to promote corporate social responsibility with regard to real equality
between women and men in accessing jobs, training and career progress and
in reconciling professional, personal and family life.

15. 15
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!
Marilena Berardo
Eurosportello Unioncamere del Veneto
Via delle Industrie, 19 D
30175, Venice
ITALY
Tel. 0039 0410999411
www.eurosportelloveneto.it
europa@eurosportelloveneto.it