Women in South and South West Serbia launching own businesses

New women entrepreneurs from Novi Pazar, Raska, Leskovac, Prokuplje, Surdulica, Blace and Vranje will launch their own businesses and receive equipment worth € 32,915, by the end of March 2014.

Through the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – EU PROGRES, the European Union and the Government of Switzerland will fund 17 projects of municipal gender equality councils, as well as 10 best projects supporting women’s entrepreneurship with a total of € 61,800.

In response to the public call for funding projects for launching women entrepreneurship, the 36 proposals were submitted, out of which, ten projects that will receive support were selected. New women entrepreneurs from Novi Pazar, Raska, Leskovac, Prokuplje, Surdulica, Blace and Vranje will launch their own businesses and receive equipment worth € 32,915, by the end of March 2014. They will be dealing with sewing and tailoring clothes, growing mushrooms, making jewellery, keeping books… With EU PROGRES’ support, women entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to attend training on accounting, taxes, company registration, marketing and management, which will be delivered by the Vranje Business Incubator Centre experts. At least ten women will be employed through this project.

Proposals from 20 local self-governments were submitted in response to the public call for gender equality council projects, and the 17 selected projects from Priboj, Prijepolje, Nova Varos, Sjenica, Tutin, Novi Pazar, Raska, Prokuplje, Zitoradja, Kursumlija, Vranje, Vlasotince, Bojnik, Medvedja, Lebane, Bujanovac and Vladicin Han will be funded with a total of € 28,800. These projects aim to improve women’s health, empower them economically and increase their participation in decision-making, as well as combat violence and promote gender equality in the local communities. All activities will be completed by March 2014.

All public call results are available on the EU PROGRES` website www.euprogres.org/vest.php?id=509.

The European Union financially supports the European Partnership with Municipalities Programme – EU PROGRES, with €14.1 million, the Government of Switzerland with €2.5 million, while the Government of the Republic of Serbia allocates €1.5 million. EU PROGRES aims at supporting social-economic development of 25 municipalities in South and South West Serbia. More details about the Programme are available on the website www.euprogres.org.

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