Award Winners Announced; 2002 UNECE Excellent Women Entrepreneurs

Geneva
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Excellent Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2002 Awards ceremony took place at the Palais des Nations on Tuesday, 18 March 2003 during the Second Forum of Women Entrepreneurs (http://www.unece.org/operact/enterp/women/forum2.htm).

The contest was organized in recognition of the contribution of women entrepreneurs to the economic development and social progress of their countries.

Seven awards were given, notably: The Best Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year; The Most Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year; The Best Entrepreneur in Information Technology; The Best Entrepreneur in Craft; The Best Entrepreneur Facing Additional Challenges of Disability; and The Best "3Rs" Entrepreneur: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle (see list of finalists).

The Winners of the contest are:

o Israilova Ratkan, Chairperson of the Credit Union "Kairat-Bol", (Uzhen and Osh regions, Kyrgyzstan); The Best Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year

o Feryal Menemenli, Chairman and Owner of the Board of Doga Bitkisel Ürünler Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Istanbul, Turkey); The Most Innovative Entrepreneur of the Year

o Sanja Penic, Manager of the Digera d.o.o. (Zagreb, Croatia); The Best Entrepreneur in Information Technology

o Agamirzoeva Fatima Ayibkhan, President and Owner of the Aygun company (Quba, Azerbaijan) and Salimova Makhfuza Hamidovna, Director and Owner of Sadbard company (Bukhara, Uzbekistan); The Best Entrepreneur in Craft

o Leona Szy, Owner and Managing Director of the Kiskapu Ltd (Budapest, Hungary); The Best Entrepreneur Facing Additional Challenges of Disability

o Leonina Doromian, Manager and Owner of SC "Cânepa Româneasca (Timisoara, Romania); The Best "3Rs" Entrepreneur: Reduce, Re-use and Recycle

For further information please contact:

Ref: ECE/IREEDD/03/P06