Women entrepreneurs driving the twin transition

The Eurochambres Women Network survey: “A picture of female entrepreneurship” published today, based on 823 responses from 24 countries, highlights the commitment of women entrepreneurs to digitalisation and sustainability. 72% of respondents are investing in digitalisation and 68% in sustainability. At the same time, the data indicates that a lack of access to financing is a significant barrier to even greater engagement among women entrepreneurs in the twin transition.

According to the survey results, together with bureaucracy/administrative red tape and work-life balance, liquidity/access to finance is one of the three main obstacles encountered by women entrepreneurs.

The Chair of the Eurochambres Women Network, Marina Rožić, emphasized the need for policy-makers to ensure that female entrepreneurs have access to tools and information that help their business to perform and grow. “Initiatives to support female entrepreneurs must be simplified, targeted, and promoted, particularly at national level. More needs to be done to ensure that women can secure the finance they require to develop their business and that they are not disadvantaged due to their sex, or their area of activity.

Many businesswomen responding to the survey also cite a lack of time for training and professional qualification. This directly affects remuneration and career progression. The promotion of role models in male-dominated sectors will help redress work-related stereotypes, as will a focus on accessible education.

About the survey: coordinated by Eurochambres, the Eurochambres Women Network survey: “A picture of female entrepreneurship” was conducted between December 2022 and March 2023. This exercise provides a glimpse of what doing business in the current environment means for a woman, and a basis for elaborating targeted policy initiatives and measures to support women entrepreneurs across Europe.