Category: <span>News & Events</span>

There is ample evidence about the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as mobile phones, computers, and the internet to support economic growth. ICT use by micro and small enterprises has led to improvements
not only in business performance but also in living condition. ICT can be included as a component of public sector management, finance, private sector development, education, social protection, infrastructure (i.e., transport, water, energy, etc.), and agriculture interventions to leverage greater benefits for women. It would thus be useful to gain a better understanding of gender differences in access and use, and of how these tools could be best used to promote women’s entrepreneurship and enhance economic activity.
ICT is a fast-changing area that can provide new opportunities to catalyze women’s economic development.

Mentoring session with our mentor Teuta Xhindi

Support women to build their brand through social media online which is widely used by different target audiences and it also helps to network with like-minded women or role models that can support women in their early stages

Our mentor Blerjana Bino

A very busy day!
Photographs in action!
The women artizans in Elbasan!
The most beautiful pieces of handmade work selected for the on line platform of our project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Providing access to employment and better income opportunities are among the most effective ways to empower women. Yet, little has been done in Albania to address a persistent gender pay gap or improve women’s access to the labour market, entrepreneurship services and credit.

Women’s average salary is almost 18 per cent lower than men’s in urban areas and doubly lower in rural areas. Women are over-represented in Albania’s informal economy and as unpaid family workers in businesses and on farms. Over 50 per cent of Albanian women work in agriculture – 87 per cent of them in unpaid family jobs – and rural women are not covered by basic social, pension and health services.

Few women own or manage companies or sit on company boards. Women own or manage only 28.5 per cent of all enterprises, many of which are under-capitalised small and medium enterprises in highly informal lower value-added sectors. Only 27.9 per cent of company board members are women; over 43 per cent of companies have no women on their board.

Our mentor: Dhurata Cupi

Promotion of a positive attitude towards women in entrepreneurship through role models, success stories and women ambassadors.  In this way, other girls and women can be encouraged to engage in business activity and self-employment. This also helps with peer to peer support and networking.

Our mentor Flutura Xhabija is the best role model!

There are many young women that have the courage and the strong will to realize their dreams, to create, produce and sell their products, and thus earn for themselves and provide existence for their families. These initiatives need a careful support, business assistance and financial means. In order to meet the practical needs of existing women entrepreneurs, and to encourage other women in business. Therefore, the project #micro enterprise development project for women in the cross-boarder area will encounter three types of support: (1) building of skills and competences of women for business management, (2) providing legal and economic support services for potential start-ups, but also dissemination of administrative information about duties and taxes, role of inspections, rights and obligations in doing business, on major type of economic disputes etc. and (3) providing of business advisory services for economic development and increased competitiveness at the market.
The project will relate specifically to existing companies in order to assist them in finding #accesstomarket, increase production, marketing and sale, find business partners and increase also #accesstofinance tailored-made support of women entrepreneurship.

 

 

Our Mentors have personal experience of owning and managing a small or medium-sized business successfully for years, are aware of specific challenges that women entrepreneurs face (e.g. in starting a business, accessing finance, networking and balancing family and business).
Our mentor Mrs.Flutura Xhabija, a senior expert in support to women business, and especially

 

 

 

 

While many women mentored during the IPA CBC project implementation report that they own and regularly use mobile phones, not all of them have regular internet connection. Also, few own other kinds of ICT tools such as computers, broadband, internet-enabled laptops or smart tablets), and very few use the more advanced features of the online world.  Also, this shows that ICTs are not being used fully for business purposes, but primarily for personal and social motives. The key challenges include women entrepreneurs’ limited ICT skills, and their lack of awareness of and low confidence in using ICTs for business purposes. Affordability and financial reasons might also be a constraint as smart tables, laptops, computers, mobiles and internet connection cost and women cannot afford to add to their expenses more than what they already have.

Mentor: Teuta Xhindi

micro enterprice development project for women in crosboarder area  is offering expert mentoring to women entrepreneurs, to help them keep their new businesses going during their first, very challenging years. Each entrepreneur was matched with a suitable mentor (considering location, business type, etc.) and met her each month for three months in a row. .A clear outline of the goals and objectives was agreed between both parties to ensure that the best results could be achieved. Mentors have personal experience of owning and managing a small or medium-sized business successfully for at least five years, be aware of specific challenges that women entrepreneurs face (e.g. in starting a business, accessing finance, networking and balancing family and business), or experts that have experience in legal issues, or ICT, or Communication etc They undertook to share their knowledge and know-how with their mentees and be available to meet them regularly.
Our legal mentor is Ms.Dhurata Çupi, a senior expert in legal issues regarding local legal support to business, and especially supporting women entrepreneurship.

There is no denying that in current times, social media is a powerful tool for businesses to embrace. From improved communication with customers, increased brand awareness and authority to a growth in sales and website traffic, the benefits of social media can hardly be overstated. Going hand in hand with social media, digital marketing and the vital part it plays in every business’s success was another important element highlighted during the project.

Our mentor Blerjana Bino had a fruitful discussion and women shared their experience using social media for business.