Conference with the Minister of Economy in the Palace of Serbia

At the conference entitled “Entrepreneurs – the development force of Serbia” held in the Palace of Serbia, the Minister of Economy, Anđelka Atanasković, met with prominent female entrepreneurs in the country on the occasion of Women’s Day. The conference was attended by more than 50 businesswomen, among whom was the representative of the Perfect Vision team, Branka Ivošević, a member of the Association of Business Women of Serbia.

In addition to Minister Atanasković, entrepreneurs were addressed by Milana Rikanović, Director of the United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Woman) in Serbia, Branislava Simanić, Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Sanja Popović Pantić, President of the Association of Business Women of Serbia, Ljiljana Karaklajić D Express, Ljiljana Savić and Irena Krsmanović MDM NEW FASHION DOO, Nina Rusić INDIJANA DOO.

The conference was held with the aim of raising public awareness of women’s entrepreneurship by presenting current support programs for women entrepreneurs with the presence of the media. Selected female entrepreneurs who participated in the conference presented their successful business models and shared with others the challenges they face.

“We must act together all 365 days of the year, as well as advocate every day for the full realization of the economic, political and social equality of women in society,” said Minister Anđelka Atanasković. She pointed out that women entrepreneurs make up only a quarter of the total number of businessmen in Serbia, but that there is a trend of increasing the number of women in leading positions in companies, which indicates that dedicated and hard work knows no gender.

Director of the UN Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, Milana Rilaković, pointed out that a total of 23 women’s civil society organizations received grant support for the implementation of projects in the field of improving the position of women on the labor market and for the purpose of economic empowerment of rural women.

Branislava Simanić, director of the entrepreneurship sector at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, stated that the Serbian Chamber of Commerce recognizes female entrepreneurship as a strong source of employment and that the economic empowerment of women should be a strategic project of the state.

The president of the Association of Business Women of Serbia, Sanja Popović Pantić, pointed to the success of cooperation with the Ministry of Economy through joint projects they worked on, among which is the management of gender statistics in the field of entrepreneurship, so that it would be possible to follow the trends in the development of female entrepreneurship as precisely as possible and create adequate measures.

In the end, the minister concluded: “Women have never had more power, strength and help from the state to succeed. Use it, and the ministry is here to help.”

We were reminded on March 8 that a woman should feel privileged every day just because she is a woman, and that she can without a doubt be at the head of successful companies, we show by personal example. By participating in the conference as well as being a member of the Association of Business Women of Serbia, we support and emphasize the importance of joint action and mutual support of women, because together we can conquer the world.