ABW Serbia project “Women in Progress – Capacity building at the local level for gender economic mainstreaming in Serbia” on Short List for European Commission

ABW Serbia project “Women in Progress – Capacity building at the local level for gender economic mainstreaming in Serbia” on Short List for European Commission

The project of Association of Business Women in Serbia “Women in Progress – Capacity building at the local level for gender economic mainstreaming in Serbia” is one of the present year’s candidates for the prestigious European Commission award entitled “European Enterprise Promotion Award 2013 – Promising Projects to Kick-Start New Businesses” (EEPA), the aim of which is to recognize and reward the most successful activities oriented towards promotion of entrepreneurship all over Europe.

Out of 400 project applicants from EU countries, Turkey and Serbia, 19 got on the shortlist, including the ABW Serbia project. Besides Serbia, on the shortlist are projects from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey and Great Britain, within the following 6 categories:

  • Promoting entrepreneurial spirit
  • Investing into skills
  • Improving business environment
  • Supporting internationalization of business operations
  • Supporting the development of “green markets” and resources efficiency
  • Accountable entrepreneurship

Two projects from Serbia were shortlisted, out of which “Women in Progress – Capacity building at the local level for gender economic mainstreaming in Serbia” nominated by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia, as the Serbian candidate in the “Promoting entrepreneurial spirit” category.

The aim of this project is to increase participation of women entrepreneurs in creating local economic policies in underdeveloped areas of Serbia, through promotion of issues related to entrepreneurship and self-employment. The project is oriented towards strengthening cooperation between local associations of business women and the Association of Business Women in Serbia, as well as building local capacities for further development of women entrepreneurship in 5 municipalities, in which an association has already been formed (Niš, Kragujevac, Čačak, Valjevo and Novi Pazar), and also on forming a new women association in Bujanovac. The project is financed by the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia and the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society of the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

More about the project may be seen on the ABW website www.poslovnezene.org.rs, in the Present Projects column. In its statement of reasons, the jury pointed out that this project pays particular attention to women entrepreneurship in Serbia, where only 26% of the total number of small and medium-sized enterprises account for women. Therefore, many of them join the work of the Association of Business Women in Serbia, where the need for building local organizations for promotion of women entrepreneurs has been recognized. At the same time, the Association of Business Women in Serbia encourages and supports forming of new associations, as well as interconnecting of women entrepreneurs all over Serbia. During the past year, at the initiative of ABW Serbia were formed three new Associations of Business Women: in Novi Pazar, Subotica and Zaječar. The award presentation ceremony will take place on 25 November 2013, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Awards will be presented by Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission. One of the projects will also be awarded the prestigious Grand Prix by the Jury.

Read more about the “European Enterprise Promotion Award” and this year’s candidates on the European Commission website: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-830_en.htm.

For two years in a row, with its projects, the Association of Business Women in Serbia has been among candidates for one of the prestigious awards. In 2012, the project “Success Flower for a Dragon Woman”, which acknowledges successful and courageous women in our society, who are respectable women entrepreneurs, was also shortlisted.