Zonta International is a worldwide service organization that works to advance the status of women. The International Zonta Jelgava Club was founded in 1997 in Latvia and works on projects to improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women. In Latvia, women make up over half the population but face challenges such as traditional career paths, lower pay and underrepresentation in leadership roles. Several organizations in Latvia work to promote girls and young women through activities such as mentoring programs, which have helped rural women start businesses and increase their qualifications. The Zonta Jelgava Club organizes competitions and events to empower girls and support their development.
Social investment is no longer just about what funders spend.
The FirstRand Group's Sizwe Nxasana speaks at the Tshikululu Social Investments Serious Social Investing 2013 workshop.
Social investment is no longer just about what funders spend.
The FirstRand Group's Sizwe Nxasana speaks at the Tshikululu Social Investments Serious Social Investing 2013 workshop.
The Managers' Association of Slovenia, established in 1989 as a voice of managers in Slovenia. We strive for progress of the management profession and its protection.
Encouraging women entrepreneurs for jobs and development Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Today, more and more women entrepreneurs are starting businesses and they now account for a quarter to a third of all businesses in the formal economy worldwide. However, the great majority are very small or micro enterprises with little potential for growth. Otherwise, women entrepreneurs are under-represented in enterprises of all sizes, and the bigger the firm the less likely it is to be headed by a woman. Societal attitudes and social beliefs inhibit some women from even considering starting a business, while systemic barriers mean that many women entrepreneurs stay confined to very small businesses often operating in the informal economy. This not only limits their ability to earn an income for themselves and their families but restricts their full potential to contribute to socio-economic development and job creation. The World Bank’s World Development Report 2011 suggests that productivity could increase by as much as 25% in some countries if discriminatory barriers against women were removed. Removing these barriers, such as discriminatory property and inheritance laws, cultural practices, lack of access to formal financial institutions, and time constraints due to family and household responsibilities, will create greater opportunities for sustainable enterprises run by women. This in turn will contribute to women’s economic empowerment and gender equality as well as helping to generate sustainable growth and jobs. While removing barriers is essential, investment is equally vital. Investing in women is one of the most effective means of increasing equality and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Investments in women-specific programmes can have significant knock-on effects for development, since women generally spend more of their income on the health, education and well-being of their families and communities than men do. While targeted measures can bridge the gap for women, it is also essential to remove discriminatory aspects of economic and social policies and programmes that may impede women’s full participation in the economy and society.
Research In Action #1 - Mentoring: A Key Resource for Promoting Positive Youth Development
This series was developed by MENTOR and translates the latest mentoring research into tangible strategies for mentoring practitioners. Research In Action (RIA) makes the best available research accessible and relevant to the mentoring field.
The Managers' Association of Slovenia, established in 1989 as a voice of managers in Slovenia. We strive for progress of the management profession and its protection.
Encouraging women entrepreneurs for jobs and development Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Today, more and more women entrepreneurs are starting businesses and they now account for a quarter to a third of all businesses in the formal economy worldwide. However, the great majority are very small or micro enterprises with little potential for growth. Otherwise, women entrepreneurs are under-represented in enterprises of all sizes, and the bigger the firm the less likely it is to be headed by a woman. Societal attitudes and social beliefs inhibit some women from even considering starting a business, while systemic barriers mean that many women entrepreneurs stay confined to very small businesses often operating in the informal economy. This not only limits their ability to earn an income for themselves and their families but restricts their full potential to contribute to socio-economic development and job creation. The World Bank’s World Development Report 2011 suggests that productivity could increase by as much as 25% in some countries if discriminatory barriers against women were removed. Removing these barriers, such as discriminatory property and inheritance laws, cultural practices, lack of access to formal financial institutions, and time constraints due to family and household responsibilities, will create greater opportunities for sustainable enterprises run by women. This in turn will contribute to women’s economic empowerment and gender equality as well as helping to generate sustainable growth and jobs. While removing barriers is essential, investment is equally vital. Investing in women is one of the most effective means of increasing equality and promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Investments in women-specific programmes can have significant knock-on effects for development, since women generally spend more of their income on the health, education and well-being of their families and communities than men do. While targeted measures can bridge the gap for women, it is also essential to remove discriminatory aspects of economic and social policies and programmes that may impede women’s full participation in the economy and society.
Research In Action #1 - Mentoring: A Key Resource for Promoting Positive Youth Development
This series was developed by MENTOR and translates the latest mentoring research into tangible strategies for mentoring practitioners. Research In Action (RIA) makes the best available research accessible and relevant to the mentoring field.
1. Project
“European Federation of Mentors for Girls and
Young Women”
Situation of girls and young women
promotion and mentoring in Latvia
Zonta International District 21 Sweden & Latvia Area Director,
Ex-president of International Zonta Jelgava Club
Prof. Dr.hab.oec. Baiba Rivza
International meeting October 15 -18, 2008, Graz
2. International Zonta Jelgava Club
Zonta International is a worldwide, nonpartisan and nonsectarian service
organization of executives in business and the professions working
together in advancing the status of women. Nearly 33,000 members
belong to more than 1,200 Zonta Clubs in 68 countries and geographic
areas.
International Zonta Jelgava Club was founded in 1997 with aim to
promote the activities of Zonta International in Jelgava city and region.
The main tasks of organization are:
To improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health, and
professional status of women;
To work for the advancement of understanding, goodwill, and peace
through a world fellowship of executives in business and the professions;
To promote justice and universal respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms;
To be united internationally to foster high ethical standards, to implement
service programs, and to provide mutual support and fellowship for
women
3. Percentage of women in Latvian
population
Total in the country – 54 %
Urban population – 55 %
Rural population – 52 %
4. Situation on girls and young women
promotion in Latvia
Dominant structure – traditional choice of education
and carrier:
- Health and social care (85% of all employees)
- Service branch (83,3%)
- Education (78,4%)
Women are less paid, except public administration
(average salary of women is only 81,5% of average
salary of men)
Awareness of gender equality is in scientific
community (highest proportion of women scientists in
Europe)
5. Situation on girls and young women
promotion in Latvia
Still strong role of stereotypes
10 women from 100 are full members of the
Latvia Academy of Sciences
18 women from 100 are members of the
Parliament
17% of all professors are women
34% of all entrepreneurs are women, worse
situation is in rural areas – about 20% from all
entrepreneurs
6. Relative share of women & men in
a typical academic career
100
90 Women
89
80 Men 80
70 68
60 63
55
50 48
43 45
40
30
25
20
10 11
0
Students PhD Assistant Associate Full prof.
graduates prof. prof.
7. Percentage of total number of women
in the fields of studies
Teaching sciences and teacher education 84
Humanities 78
Social sciences 65
Natural sciences and mathematics 36
Engineering and technologies 21
Agriculture 44
Health, health and social care 84
Utilities 56
0 20 40 60 80 100
8. Women in entrepreneurship
34% of all entrepreneurs in Latvia are women
Worse situation is in rural areas – about 20% from all
entrepreneurs
Main reasons:
Lack of family support - women as the main responsible
for housework and/or children
Willingness to avoid risks
Problems with social system and child care system
“Male club/traditions/stereotypes” especially in technical
fields
Missing knowledge about accounting
Lack of financing
Low self-esteem
9. Support for Latvia women
from EU structural funds
The gender quality aspect as horizontal objective is included
throughout the Latvia Development Plan 2007 – 2013, primarily
within the priority “Development of Human Resources and
Employment”, e.g.:
Output indicators and baseline data are broken down by
gender to monitor gender gaps and to measure progress in
gender equality
Additional points in the selection criteria will be assigned to
those projects which contribute to gender equality
Gender balance in Monitoring and Steering Committees will
be encouraged
10. Organizations involved in girls and
young women promotion
International Zontu Jelgava Club
Latvia Rural Women association
NGO Līdere
NGO Marta
NGO Gender equality society
NGO Business women society
Many NGO and women clubs in Latvia regions
11. Mentoring programs for rural
women in Latvia
Mentoring programs for rural women in Latvia supported through
INTERREG III B project “FEM: Female Entrepreneurs
meetings in the Baltic Sea region” and FIVE-O project “Zonta
and Soroptimist International clubs mentoring program for
rural women”
Main aims of the program were:
To help the Mentees to develop their business related goals;
To get the entrepreneurs into active women entrepreneurs’ network
and to start cooperation with each other;
To ensure sustainability of enterprise in starting phase;
To provide professional guidance, new knowledge;
To exchange experiences, to avoid some mistakes.
12. Activities
Selection of Mentees and Mentors
Seminars and meetings for Mentees and Mentors
Composing and concluding agreements between Mentees
and Mentors
Dissemination activities of mentoring program
Special training and common coaching and networking
events for Mentors and Mentees
Questionnaire of 103 exitsing and potential Mentees and 62
existing and potential Mentors all regions of Latvia
Development of Mentoring manual
Monitoring and evaluation of mentoring cooperation
(interviews with Mentees and Mentors)
13. Mentoring pairs and groups
In total 27 mentoring pairs and 3 groups (10 pairs and 2 groups in
Zemgale, 7 pairs and 1 group in Vidzeme, and 5 pairs in each
Latgale and Kurzeme)
14. Main results
All interviewed mentors and mentees are satisfied
and gratify about cooperation. Most of the mentors
emphasis win – win principle which means that
they are also winners in this situation
Almost all pairs and groups meet each other once a
week or frequently communicate by phone; But all
emphases meaning of face to face meetings
Mentees as positive aspect of mentoring mentioned
guiding method that allows the mentee come to
solution by herself (also sustainability of mentoring
results that for example differs from training
courses, one day seminars, etc.)
15. Qualitative results
self - esteem
and security individual
sense satisfaction
11% 17%
information,
new ideas
22% develoment,
growth and
contacts and experience
new 28%
cooperation
possibilities
22%
16. Quantitative results
increased turnower of
enterprises
4
increased educational
3
and qualification level
business partners 4
submitted and
supported projects
5
founded individual
1
enterprise
founded LLC 5
received loans 3
Business plans 5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
17. Other results
Created data basis of existing and potential women mentors and mentees in
rural regions
4 FEM Mentors of the event “Mentor of the Year 2006” received
rewards (Nelda Bailīte, Zeltīte Kaviere, Eleonora Maisaka, Vija Ancāne); 2
Mentors of of the event “Mentor of the Year 2007” received awards –
Astrīda Vītola – mentor for micro-credit group in Iecava and Inara
Vasilevska – pair mentor in Preili (Latgale region);
Mentoring is included in the National plan for development of Latvia for
the years 2007. – 2013 as one of the priorities in creating new competitive
enterprises, creation of unite and efficient support system for business
launching (mentor consultations, finance supporting – “first seed grants", net
supporting, seed grants, micro credits, investments guarantees, risk capital
funding, resource centers etc.).
Developed mentoring manual in order to support and give concrete advice
to them who plan and are running mentoring projects, especially the co-
ordinators and others involved in practical mentoring.
6 scientific articles and 12 presentations in seminars and international
conferences in Latvia, Finland, Denmark, Poland, etc.
18. Our main activities in 2008
Event “Young Women Public Affairs” involve essay
competition “Essays of society-active girls” on March,
2008
Theme - young women and girls’ role and problems in
the society. The girls described activities which have
brought the benefits for their region, main events and
understandings from their own experience and also
women problems in society and possibilities for carrier
development.
In final event participated representatives of International
Zonta Jelgava club and Rotari club, chairman of Jelgava
City council, Jelgava State Secondary school, Spidola
Secondary School and others.
19. Our main activities in 2008
Visit in the Parliament of Republic of Latvia on 11th April, 2008
for winners of Irina Maksimova, Liene Bergmane and Anna Katlaga and their
English teacher Skaidrīte Bukbārde. Premises of the Parliament were observed and
information about its operation and history were found out. Also, in this visit,
future plans of the girls were discussed regarding their carrier choice, their
achievements and possible cooperation in different projects.
Winners of essay competition Irina Maksimova,
Liene Bergmane and Anna Katlaga, March, 2008
20. Our main activities in 2008
Meeting of Zonta International District 21 Sweden & Latvia Area on
April 12, 2008 (Presentation of FIVE-O project Zonta and Soroptimist
International clubs mentoring program for rural women”)
Meeting in the Latvian Parliament on May 19, 2008 – Challenges of
women NGO’s in implementing Latvian National Development plan 2007-
2013 (prof. B.Rivža)
Latvian Zontians scholarship for talented and hard working Latvian girls
who do not have the chances to continue their higher education due to the poor
family economy. On the 15th February 2008 Latvian Zontians meeting it was
decided that the Latvian Zonta Clubs’ annual scholarship will be granted in
the amount of 1000 lats (100 lats a month from September to June) to Madara
Mežviete from Kalnciema Secondary School. The scholarship will be
administrated through the Vītols Foundation (Vītolu fonds), a non-profit
organization founded in 2002.
Experts meeting for mentoring of young women and girls – existing
situation and future development on July 9, 2008 in Skaistkalne (about 20
participants; presentation of project “European Federation of Mentors for Girls
and Young Women” and new ideas for national workshop)
22. Our main activities in 2008
Rural women summer schools in 2008
- On July 22-23 in Vidzeme, Valka (about 30 participants)
- On July 23-24 in Latgale, Ludza (about 80 participants)
- On August 5-6 in Vidzeme, Cēsis (about 100 participants)
- On August 15-16 in Kurzeme, Īvande (about 30 participants)
- On August 15-16 in Vidzeme, Alūksne (about 50 participants)
- On August 20 in Vidzeme, Valmiera (about 100 participants)
- On August 22-23 in Latgale, Jēkabpils (about 30 participants)
Presentations on girls and young women in sociaty, mentoring
programs and project “European Federation of Mentors for Girls
And Young Women” (lectors prof. B.Rivža, as.prof. M.Krūzmētra,
E.Konstantinova)
25. National wokshop on September 4-5,
Jelgava
23 participants
Presentations of the representatives of project lead partner - Project Office
for Innovative Social Policy Gerlinde Hacker and Doris Hasenschwandtner
Presentation of International Zonta Club Jelgava - the overall situation of
girls and young women mentoring in Latvia.
Presentations of two young girls – Irina Maksimova and Madara Mežviete -
their experience within activities organized by International Zonta Jelgava
Club.
Five presentations blocks, where women mentors and mentees shared their
experience and also show some practical examples of their work :
Mentoring for girls and young women in self and career development;
Mentoring for girls and young women in handicraft;
Mentoring for girls and young women in housekeeping, catering and child
care; Mentoring for girls and young women in tourism;
Mentoring for girls and young women in wellness and beauty care –.
The workshop has roused interest also for local mass media – regional TV
and radio.