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“The most dangerous phrase in the language is “We’ve always done it this way”. It’s 8 March today, and the buzzword you are getting from all around is “Women’s day”. So, the note of ours on this day is on women. Women continue to face disadvantage and discrimination in all areas of economic life. Mothers around the Western Balkans are particularly affected by the lack of both child and elderly care services which impact their employment. Only 24% of mothers with a child under the age of 8 can make use of a kindergarten. Less care services means more women unemployed. Women employment rate in the Western Balkans, although risen in the past 3 years, is still around 45%, and it poorly compares to the employment rate of men in the region which is circa 63%. Women’s economic empowerment is not a luxury, and cultural relativism is not an excuse. Western Balkans loses 5% of its GDP annually due to the gap in participation of women as entrepreneurs, while our GDP could be 20% higher if women were to participate in the labour market at the same level as men. It is surprising that the perceptions of women’s economic capabilities are so limited given the profound impact that women’s labour has on our economies. Lack of labour, law protection, little social protection, few care facilities and limited access to productive resources put a brake on women’s ability to take advantage of new employment opportunities. But less empowered women also means more violence. Throughout the Western Balkans women are harassed, raped, beaten, and killed, often by their partners even after repeatedly reporting the violence to the authorities. This dark statistics go on and on and are even incomplete, but the available data are petrifying. Every fourth victim of femicide was murdered in her own house, and over half of them were murdered by their husbands or ex-husbands. So, is there even a reason to ask me why this note today? Because I am a woman, and as women know very well, it can be particularly irksome to speak of women and their realities. But at heart, I am sure you agree that if we empower women, women will empower our economies,” said RCC Secretary General Majlinda Bregu in the newest episode of TalkingPoint on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. 

With goal to showcase successful examples of women entrepreneurs across the Western Balkans and strengthen the efforts of regional women’s economic empowerment after the launch of the regional Empowering Women in Entrepreneurship (WE) campaign exactly five years ago, the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) created the Regional Network of Women in Entrepreneurship and the annual Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year recognition three years ago, as part of the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2021-2024.

Following two successful generations of Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year, and the fruitful nomination process for the recognition’s third edition, the RCC is to present the Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2023 on 12 March 2024 in Sarajevo.

More info on Women’s Empowerment activities of the RCC
 https://www.rcc.int/priority_areas/52/women-empowerment

More info on Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year laureates
WB Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2021 
WB Women Entrepreneurs of the Year 2022