The status of women’s entrepreneurship in Croatia is slightly better than in the rest of the region, but is still less than ideal since women do not have sufficient support neither from institutions, nor their families, said the head of the International Business Women’s Network of Croatia, Ivana Radic, at a conference in Zagreb on Tuesday.

The conference on the role of entrepreneurship in Southeast Europe attracted some 200 businesspeople from the region.

“Entering into business ventures can be more difficult for women than it is for men, and not just because of the lack of support from the work environment, but also because they often fight their own prejudices, on top of those from their environment. That is why awareness of women’s entrepreneurship should be encouraged and strengthened all the time,” Radic said.

Women are not inclined to go into business or start their own business ventures without institutional support, and especially the support of their families, she said, adding that various organisations, such as the International Business Women’s Network, launched last autumn, can help women in that regard.

Sven Thorsten Potthoff, director of the German-Croatian Chamber of Industry and Trade, said that challenges and opportunities were key to getting people involved in business.

“Women are still insufficiently involved in business everywhere in the world, including Europe and Germany, although everyone is making an effort in that regard. Even though these trends are slow, they are positive, especially for women who are getting together and cooperating through different networks and associations,” Pothoff said.

Governments and NGOs can do a lot about this, but it is not so much about politics, but about companies which should see the potential women bring and give them a chance, he added.