[Index]
UNECE Forum of Women Entrepreneurs
Palais des Nations, Geneva, 22 October 2001
Geneva, 9 October 2001
Over 200 participants are expected to participate in the
first United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Forum of Women
Entrepreneurs to be held on 22 October 2001 in the Palais des Nations, Geneva.
The majority of participants are women entrepreneurs and representatives of
women’s business associations from more than 28 countries including Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Malta, Poland, Russia,
Tajikistan, Ukraine, and United States.
The Forum was inspired by the UNECE virtual Gallery of
Excellent Women Entrepreneurs. Many of these women will now come to Geneva to
meet each other and share their personal experiences of setting own
businesses. They have different background and live in countries with very
diverse economic conditions and regulatory framework. Their companies differ
in size and area of activity. They range from micro- and small-sized
enterprises over medium-sized to large-sized enterprises providing various
services (IT services, advertising, travel, health care) and goods from
leather and garments and innovative souvenirs, like candied edible flowers to
pneumatic tyres. Despite this diversity their personal stories clearly show
that entrepreneurial women in most countries of the ECE region face numerous
gender-specific constraints and problems.
Gender specific barriers include limited access to
information, business networks and collateral as well as the traditional
attitude towards the gender role and unfavourable social climate.
Women-entrepreneurs are often excluded from trade, business associations and
informal "old-boys" networks, which have negative impact on their
access to information on credit, training opportunities, business partners and
access to new markets. They also have worst access to information and
communication technologies (ICT).
The main purpose of the Forum is to discuss how to overcome
these barriers through a better use of the regional framework offered by the
UNECE. The Forum is expected to launch a number of new programmes and
activities aimed at building networks among women entrepreneurs in the ECE
region, promoting e-learning and use of ICT, including especially e-commerce
and creation of a cyber-market as well as disseminating role models of
successful women entrepreneurs.
For further information please contact:
Ewa Ruminska-Zimny
Regional Adviser on Gender and Economy
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations - Office 344
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: (+41 22) 917 1698
Fax: (+41 22) 917 0036
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/OPA/01/07