Mentoring session: the opportunity to find or create your own  job

The Elbasan region is very affected by the problems related to youth migration and informal employment in agriculture, the lack of professional training to increase productivity and the lack of safety and health conditions in the workplace. The economic crisis in neighboring countries (especially in Greece) during 2010-2011 has increased the number of migrants returning to Elbasan, who are added to the large group of the unemployed category. In terms of women’s unemployment, the opportunity to find a job and the period when women lose their jobs while waiting for job opportunities is relatively longer than that of men. There is also a disproportionate distribution of women employed in the public and private sectors. The number of women engaged in small businesses still remains very small compared to men, despite the fact that in the Elbasan region unemployment is higher among women than among men. According to the National Business Centre (NBC), the Elbasan branch lists 8,350 businesses, of which only 41 are run or co-run by women. 11.7% of businesses are run by women. These data relate only to businesses registered with the NBC, as there are small businesses which are registered in the relevant local government units or not registered at all. However, the trend is clear. This shows that the business sector is dominated by men.

Our mentor Flutura Xhabija