Women in Business

The FINANCIAL –In the Georgian private sector, the average monthly salary for men is USD 425 while women receive just USD 335 per month. That discrepancy exists across the board for Georgia’s female workforce, according to the International Labour Organization’s report.

In general, 48 percent of women and 39 percent of men do not have personal income. The share of respondents that have personal income from GEL 101 to GEL 300 is 29 percent. It is worth mentioning that this amount is the family income for 36 percent of the population. The average family income equals GEL 300-700 for 30 percent of the population. Eight percent of citizens live in extreme poverty and their income is less than GEL 100, according to the report.

“To achieve equity for women has been a top issue for the societies of democratic countries for half a century already. Woman’s struggle for active involvement in small and medium-sized business started in the 1980s in Georgia. Nowadays, unemployment still persists as a major problem for the country; according to statistical data the number of the unemployed female population exceeds the number of unemployed men (in the private sector only 36 percent of employees are women),” said Nina Demetradze, Head of the International Relations department at the Georgian Women’s Business Association.

Nine women of completely different styles, taste, work and life experience have come together to create the organization – Georgian Women’s Business Association, which is already a member of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce. The NGO was granted accordance with the present Civil Code legal entity, which aims at improving the economic status of women, women in business activities, the promotion of gender balance, and the humanitarian assistance of women and children of different categories.

The Georgian Women’s Business Association started negotiations with the Lithuania Businesswomen Network, which will be sharing their experience with their Georgian counterparts. The main goal of the gathering is the promotion of Georgian and Lithuanian businesswomen’s collaboration as well as improving gender balance within the business community in general.

The Lithuanian delegation was represented by 25 of the largest companies managed by women. A memorandum of understanding has already been signed between the two sides.

“We support female entrepreneurship. We encourage women to start their own business and develop existing ones,” said Laura Kovaliovit, the Director of Perspective Projects. “We support students in developing practical skills in our member’s workplaces. For this purpose we are cooperating with schools, colleges, universities, as well as the Ministry of Economy. I know that there are some Lithuanian businesswomen who run large businesses over there who are coming to Georgia to invest here. We would like to help Georgian women to be more actively involved in business,” she added.

The Lithuanian Businesswomen Network was created in 2008 following a Euro Chambers Women Network Conference. The primary purpose of the Network is to promote and support women in business and professional practices. Other goals are to get networking and develop business opportunities; share experience and expertise; education; support and mentoring, as well as to just to have fun.

Potentially successful business sectors for women in Georgia include beauty salons, grocery shops, apparel/second-hand clothes shops, home appliance shops, trading with cosmetics, hotels, restaurants/cafés, farm/agro-business, private kindergartens, and outside trading, according to the Georgian Women’s Business Association. The representatives of the Association aim to increase the variety of the business sector for Georgian businesswomen.

“Georgia needs to empower more women in business as women’s economic contributions are vital for developing countries like Georgia. Women’s economic contributions are vital as well as the ability to realize the full labour potential of women in the national economy. Women’s engagement in small business is considered quite realistic. It was declared that in the case of large business, men have more potential to be successful. If a woman manages a large business, she may need a man’s assistance in similar situations,” Dementradze added.

“Women who want to be successfully involved in small business activities have to overcome greater difficulties than men do. Since 2004, the business environment started to change and women were given greater access to business opportunities. Women earn less than men though, and have a harder time finding a job in the country’s difficult employment market,” she said.

Those who want to join GWBA must select a desired membership type, and fill in a simple application form, according to which GWBA will know the reasons why the applicant wants to become its member. The membership application form must indicate the name, ID number, date of birth, home address, city, country, telephone number, place of employment and position of the applicant. The membership fee is GEL 90 and for students – GEL 25.