U.S. Embassy Pristina is proud to support Kosovo’s Global Entrepreneurship Week. As I looked over the agenda, I was delighted to see so many interested stakeholders and a wide range of activities that addressed important themes such as women, youth, networking, and inclusion.
One of the week’s themes — that of course is particularly relevant to me — and in fact is a global focus of the U.S. State Department, is Women’s involvement in Entrepreneurship.
We know that women often face a different set of challenges in the business world than their male peers do. Some of these include defying social expectations; more stringent terms for financing; lack of role models, mentors and business networks; and the need to balance career obligations with a disproportionate amount of work and responsibility in the home.
However, a number of studies have shown that when women are involved in entrepreneurship, their communities benefit. Women are more likely than their male counterparts to focus on environmental and social activities rather than just purely economic ventures. So, believing that their involvement will be of great benefit to the future of Kosovo, I would like to encourage all women to have the courage to pursue their ideas and turn them into reality.
While we can and should address the specific challenges women face, I don’t want to neglect the equally important theme of inclusion. Kosovo needs to support and encourage all its emerging entrepreneurs by paying attention to their individual and group needs.
With that in mind, I wish you all an enjoyable and productive week of Entrepreneurship and I look forward to hearing your stories as you turn your ideas into products and services. Please keep us informed, use #GEWKosovo in your social media and we look forward to hearing from you.
