The Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry / Ukrainian CCI became a partner of the 2nd International Women's Entrepreneurship Forum, organised by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Network of Women Entrepreneurs of Greece with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attica Region and the Municipality of Athens.

Anna Vynnychenko, a representative of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Poland, with the support of Gennadiy Chyzhykov, Valeriy Zabashta, Anna Lyubyma, was a speaker at the Forum and had the opportunity to report to the international community on the role of women in Ukrainian entrepreneurship.

Held at the Cosmos Greek Cultural Centre of the Hellenic World Foundation and the Konstantinos Michalos Entrepreneurship Centre of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Forum provided a platform for prominent government officials, internationally recognised researchers, entrepreneurs and respected experts to exchange views and promote innovative ideas.

In addition, the Forum provided a unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs from around the world to meet, share experiences, expand their network and showcase their work.

The event consisted of two parts, namely panel discussions on topics related to new types of leadership, equality, investing in women-owned businesses and women in technology, as well as an exhibition of projects and companies led by women.

The role of women in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction will be enormous, given the country's needs and demographics. But this will require overcoming gender stereotypes: Ukrainian women still receive less for their work than men.
The State Statistics Service estimates that Ukrainian women earned 79.3% of men's wages, effectively working every fifth working day for free. There is also a gender imbalance in in-demand STEM specialities, such as mathematics and engineering, architecture and construction, agriculture, information technology, etc.

In addition, mothers are more likely to take unpaid parental leave, investing time and money in their children rather than themselves. Therefore, school and pre-school education and childcare outside the curriculum are now more than ever relevant to free up time for development.

What needs to be done?

The real solution to the situation will be to create an ecosystem with the support of the state and international partners that will provide women with inclusive access to education, training or retraining programmes, create the necessary conditions for fair competition in the labour market, and promote the development of women's social entrepreneurship.

Women in Ukraine have already demonstrated the power of the social impact economy - since February last year, we have seen businesses founded or run by women actively helping refugees and the army, including by providing not only products and humanitarian aid, but also jobs.

As the country recovers and as the role of communities in decision-making grows, the impact of such businesses will increase. It is businesses that aim to create social value for the community or society as a whole and overcome a socially significant problem, rather than just financial gain for the founders, that will be the driving force behind the recovery.
And women, with their soft skills, empathy, flexibility, responsibility, multitasking, ability to build partnerships, find and maintain a balance of interests, will be unrivalled in this endeavour. But this requires knowledge.

And it is the combination of the experience and resources of international partners with the energy, commitment and effectiveness of women-led NGOs that will be the key to building a strong social enterprise ecosystem that will respond to the challenges facing Ukraine's economy.

The role of women in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction will be enormous, given the country's needs and demographics. But this will require overcoming gender stereotypes: Ukrainian women still receive less for their work than men.
The State Statistics Service estimates that Ukrainian women earned 79.3% of men's wages, effectively working every fifth working day for free. There is also a gender imbalance in in-demand STEM specialities, such as mathematics and engineering, architecture and construction, agriculture, information technology, etc.

In addition, mothers are more likely to take unpaid parental leave, investing time and money in their children rather than themselves. Therefore, school and pre-school education and childcare outside the curriculum are now more than ever relevant to free up time for development.

What needs to be done?

The real solution to the situation will be to create an ecosystem with the support of the state and international partners that will provide women with inclusive access to education, training or retraining programmes, create the necessary conditions for fair competition in the labour market, and promote the development of women's social entrepreneurship.
Women in Ukraine have already demonstrated the power of the social impact economy - since February last year, we have seen businesses founded or run by women actively helping refugees and the army, including by providing not only products and humanitarian aid, but also jobs.

As the country recovers and as the role of communities in decision-making grows, the impact of such businesses will increase. It is businesses that aim to create social value for the community or society as a whole and overcome a socially significant problem, rather than just financial gain for the founders, that will be the driving force behind the recovery.
And women, with their soft skills, empathy, flexibility, responsibility, multitasking, ability to build partnerships, find and maintain a balance of interests, will be unrivalled in this endeavour. But this requires knowledge.

And it is the combination of the experience and resources of international partners with the energy, commitment and effectiveness of women-led NGOs that will be the key to building a strong social enterprise ecosystem that will respond to the challenges facing Ukraine's economy.