Projects to support women’s entrepreneurship are being implemented in Belarus

World Women’s Entrepreneurship Day is celebrated worldwide on November 19. The purpose of this public event is to inspire and encourage women to implement their entrepreneurial ideas, as well as to draw the attention of the state to the potential of women’s entrepreneurship for the development of the economy and society.

In the Republic of Belarus, about 60 thousand women are involved in the field of entrepreneurship, or 31.5% of the total number of entrepreneurs, of which 68.8% — individual entrepreneurs, 24.9% — self-employed, carrying out craft activities, 6.3% — founders (co-founders) of organizations.

Measures to support women’s entrepreneurship are provided for in the State Program «Small and Medium Enterprises» for 2020-2025.

The Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus has been implementing a specialized project «Support for Women’s Entrepreneurship» since 2020. Since 2021, at the site of the Center for Support and Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship, Belinvestbank, together with the Ministry of Economy, have been taking measures to strengthen the potential and build up women’s business. With the support of the United Nations Development Program and the International Finance Corporation, there are platforms in the capital and regions that provide an opportunity for women to undergo training in the basics of entrepreneurial activity.

Support for women’s entrepreneurship makes a significant contribution to the implementation of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality for the Period up to 2025, as well as the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goals 5, 8, 10 and other SDGs.

More information on supporting women’s entrepreneurship in Belarus can be found at the link: https://www.sb.by/articles/biznes-na-vysokikh-kablukakh.html.