Member of European Parliament Dubravka Šuica participated in a discussion today about the importance of women's entrepreneurship in the European Union which was organized by Spanish representative Terese Jiménez-Becerril. One of the main speakers was Vice President of the European Commission and Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding.

˝As in every other aspect of life, gender equality in entrepreneurship is a foundation of development, and to achieve this we need to provide the right conditions and to encourage women to allow them equal representation in enterprise,˝ said Reding.

In 2012, of the total number of new entrepreneurs, women accounted for only 31% of the population that is dedicated to entrepreneurship, while out of the total number of working women, only 10% are women entrepreneurs. These devastating facts do not reflect positively on the representation of women in public sector either.

˝Women’s creativity was suppressed for decades in Eastern and post-communist countries so we have to awaken the awareness and mentality of women so that they become aware that they are equal participants in public and entrepreneurial life. That's why we need to provide a stimulating educational environment that will lead to more women opting for entrepreneurship, where their ideas and creativity are equally valued˝, said Šuica.

At the end of the discussion, guidelines were adopted that communities should follow if they want to seriously address this issue and remove the stereotype that entrepreneurship is a male occupation.