Ljubljana, 06 March (STA) - A panel hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) on Thursday ahead of International Women's Day heard calls for greater inclusion of women in entrepreneurship and management. The speakers highlighted networking and support as vital for success, while noting women experts' under-representation in the media.
Karin Širec from the Maribor Faculty of Economics and Business opened the event by presenting findings from the GEM - Global Entrepreneurship Monitor study, which show the gender gap has narrowed over the past 20 years, and the share of women entering entrepreneurship has increased. However, women's entrepreneurial activity in Slovenia has remained below the European average in recent years.
Mojca Kunšek highlighted at the From Equality to Cooperation panel that in Slovenia, for every ten male entrepreneurs, there are 5.5 women, compared to the EU average of seven.
Darinka Pavlič Kamien of the FAM Businesswomen's Association said women often feel isolated, with her group offering a supportive network. "We fear failure, and this shows in entrepreneurship," added Mateja Malnar Štembal of Ona Ve, noting a lack of ambition among younger women.
Marta Turk of 500 Entrepreneurs called for more teamwork over solo ventures, while Petra Juvančič of the Managers' Association pointed out that women juggle career and family, and thus need flexibility, especially as young mothers.
Malnar Štembal meanwhile noted that only 23% of media voices are female, blaming low confidence. "The media play a major role when it comes to recognising female experts," she said, urging women to seize interview opportunities.
"We lack the ambition and confidence to take on interviews and appearances. Women like to feel confident about themselves and prepare thoroughly," Juvančič remarked.
Meanwhile, at a separate event in Ljubljana, Environment, Climate, and Energy Minister Bojan Kumer underscored the invaluable contribution of women to the energy sector, noting their significant influence on innovation and sustainable development.
The event, called the Women for Green Energy '25, tackled pressing topics such as AI, digitisation, battery storage, hydrogen integration, and the link between the green transition and electricity prices, highlighting the urgency of these shifts.
Discussions also focused on workforce inclusion and diversity, increasingly adopted by top-performing companies, according to Prosperia, the event's organiser.
Experts noted that women remain under-represented in the energy sector, though firms like Siemens Energy and Zorlu Energy are introducing measures such as mentoring and equality policies to boost participation.
