ProWomEn - Promotion of Women Enterpreneurs
By including the high potential of women entrepreneurs in regional structures, new opportunities and prospects for securing innovative business development, even in less developed regions, will open up for Europe's regions. The ProWomEn project focuses on networking regions which have already implemented structures to promote women entrepreneurship as well as regions that do not have much experience, but recognise a need for this.
In four thematic sub-networks the ProWomEn members identified examples of good practice and developed ideas for transfer and implementation of programmes and projects:
- Problem awareness
Lack of role models, difficulties in balancing family and work or economic problems in traditional sectors are reasons why women don't start their own business. Those who take the chance often have to face new problems in form of missing networks, male dominated support systems or even real discrimination. Longterm solutions have to start in the educational system, for the mid-term information and qualification of intermediary organisations' staff can be helpful. Role models who draw a realistic picture of female entrepreneurship can encourage women to take the chance of being self-employed. A campaign of information days carried out in Baden-Württemberg, awards in Ireland or Poland or a Swedish exhibition on women en-trepreneurs set examples how the whole range of women entrepreneurship can be made visible.
- Support instruments
Successful support programmes have to pur-sue the long-term goal of equal opportunities for women and man and to promote a culture of women entrepreneurship. Purposeful public relations, projects in school and resource centres for women entrepreneurs can contribute to achieve this goal. But women still need individual help when translating their plans into action, financing their projects or accessing networks. Examples like the Swedish "Starting Line" or micro-financing programmes existing in England or Spain can act as good practice just as the "Women Entrepreneurs Meetings" existing in various regions of Baden-Württemberg.
- Regional networks
While men have always used their "old boy's network" to initiate business, to generate business contacts and to collect information, women often have scruples about using net-works for the benefit of their enterprises. Successful networks need clearly defined objectives, target groups and organisational structures. Visions, strategies and openness for changes are crucial elements of thriving networks. Good examples in this context are the English networks "WIN" and "Prowess" as well as virtual "Women entrepreneurs' portals" in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine Westphalia.
- Education and training
It is generally agreed that entrepreneurial education should be a long-term objective and has to start as early as possible in the education process. School firms and business games support entrepreneurial thinking and acting, promote personality development and help to reduce gender related problems. When preparing for the actual start-up women require specific training. Training activities should be based on an interdisciplinary approach and involve successful women entrepreneurs. In this context imparting theoretical knowledge and sharing hands-on ex-perience is equally important. The "PriMan-ager" competition in Baden-Württemberg and the Belgian "DREAM" project are good examples for school activities. Modular training schemes in Belgium, Spain and Baden-Württemberg as well as the "TWIN" mentoring project in North Rhine Westphalia give ideas for the design of qualification ac-tivities.
ProWomEn was a thematic network funded by the European Commission within the Framework of the programme "Promotion of innovation and encouragement of SME participation". ProWomEn was co-ordinated by Steinbeis-Europa-Zentrum and the Ministry of Economics of the State of Baden-Württemberg.
Results of the Network's activities such as examples of good practice, case studies and pilot actions were presented at a conference in September 2003 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Petra Püchner, Tel. 0711 123 4012
Email: puechner@steinbeis-europa.de