Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in Europe 25 November 2014 Anna Danti Unit D1 Entrepreneurship & Social Economy European Commission Enterprise and Industry Study at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/women/index_en.htm

1. Promoting Women
Entrepreneurship in Europe
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry
25 November 2014
Anna Danti
Unit D1
Entrepreneurship & Social Economy
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

2. 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

3. Women have huge entrepreneurial
potential
-Female entrepreneurship is about economic growth,
creation of jobs and empowerment of women (If UK had
same rate of WE as US: 900,000 more businesses and
1 Billion £ value added)
-In some countries and areas may include gender equality
issues
-Women enterprise differently than men (access to finance,
training, networking, markets)

4. 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

5. Countries with highest proportions of
women entrepreneurs

6. Countries with lowest proportions of
women entrepreneurs

7. Entrepreneurship Rate
Percentage of entrepreneurs in the active labour force
2008 2012
• Between 2003 and 2012: entrepreneurship rate for women
Women Men Women Men
increased slightly: 10% to 10.4%
EU-28 10% 19% 10% 19%
Europe-37 10% 20% 10% 20%
• Entrepreneurship rate varies across Europe-37 and EU-28

8. Countries with highest entrepreneurship rates
for women

9. Countries with lowest entrepreneurship
rates for women

10. Part-time entrepreneurs
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
2008 2012
Women Men Women Men
EU-28 29% 10% 30% 12%
Europe - 37 29% 10% 31% 12%

11. Countries with highest proportions of
part-time entrepreneurs

12. Characteristics: Sectors
• 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.

13. Present policy context
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

14. 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

15. 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

16. Pilot Project ENBA
Create 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

17. 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

18. Thank you
Study at: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/
women/index_en.htm
E-mail: anna.danti@ec.europa.eu