Press Release: Women Entrepreneurs encouraged to take the plunge

With figures demonstrating that women constitute just 34.4% of the EU's self-employed workforce, the potential for more women-led businesses is huge and must be encouraged. The fact that 39.4% of women would choose to be self-employed compared to 50.2% of men shows that women are more reluctant to become entrepreneurs. Within this context, the European Commission in 2009 helped establish the European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors whose aim is to have successful female entrepreneurs campaigning to inspire women to set up their own businesses. The second phase of the European Network of Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors was inaugurated on 8 December 2010 during an induction and networking event co-organised by the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the European Council.

European Commission: Speech/10/743: Maria Damanaki European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Female entrepreneurship http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/10/743&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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