"Five grants are coming for small businesses run by women – The British Embassy and NALED have launched a new project, Small and Powerful
The British Embassy and NALED have launched a new project, Small and Powerful, with the aim of empowering women in Serbia's public and business life this year, as announced at a reception at the British Ambassador’s residence. The goal of this innovative program is to create concrete support mechanisms that will enable female entrepreneurs to have easier access to key resources and opportunities for the growth and development of their businesses. As part of the project, five grants will be awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises led by women, announced the British Ambassador to Serbia, Edward Ferguson.
- The British government strongly believes that women and girls around the world play a key role in building better, more equal, fairer, and more advanced societies. Educated, empowered, and equal women and girls should not face limitations in realizing their potential. I hope that this initiative will contribute to creating a more favorable environment for female entrepreneurs as well as leaders in the public sector. Investing in female entrepreneurs is an investment in the future of Serbia. Research shows that when women succeed in business, the entire community benefits – new jobs are created, innovations are encouraged, and the overall economic development of the country is contributed to, said Ferguson.
Support will be provided through the Small Business Council and the Permanent Committee for Women, which will work on eliminating administrative barriers and reducing stereotypes that often hinder women from reaching higher business and political positions. The project will connect female leaders, create professional networks, and provide concrete resources to improve their businesses.
- Although we have made significant strides as a society toward gender equality, the reality is that women still face barriers in accessing the resources and opportunities that are critical for the development of their businesses and careers. For this reason, we want to create support mechanisms that will enable women to take on a more significant role in the economy and public policies, said Violeta Jovanović, Executive Director of NALED.
At the local level, the project will provide support to female mayors in developing gender-sensitive policies and measures that will facilitate the operation of women and small female entrepreneurs. Workshops will be organized, gender statistics will be collected, and specific guidelines will be created for increasing the influence of women in business and politics.
