By Ewa Lisowska, Warsaw School of Economics
Entrepreneurship Policies through a Gender Lens
Report
OECD Studies on SMEs and Entrepreneurship
Table of contents
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Poland
Background
Self-employment rates for women in Poland are among the highest in the European Union, alongside Greece, Italy, Czech Republic and The Netherlands (OECD/EU, 2019). By the end of 2018, women accounted for 31% of the country’s 2.97 million self-employed people, in both non-agricultural and agricultural sectors (Labour Force Survey LFS, 2019). Poland is also characterised as having the highest percentage of women employers in the European Union, with women accounting for 30% of employers (200 000) in 2018. Nevertheless, there is a substantial gender gap in the self-employment rates of women and men, 12.7% vs. 22.5% (Labour Force Survey LFS, 2019).
There are no special government policy initiatives in Poland targeted specifically at self-employed women (OECD, 2017a), which is consistent with the gender-neutral approach to policy making in Poland. Politicians argue such initiatives are not needed as women can avail themselves of the ones directed to all entrepreneurs. The Polish Agency of Entrepreneurship Development (PARP) supports small- and medium-sized enterprises, including NGOs, through institutional programmes focused on the development of entrepreneurial skills and innovation for both genders. Research conducted by PARP has shown that the main barriers specific to women entrepreneurs in Poland are a lack of entrepreneurial skills, fear of failure, and a lack of mentoring and networking (Lisowska, 2004; PARP, 2012). Consistent with this, survey data show that Polish women are less likely than men to believe that they have the skills, knowledge and experience to start a business (OECD, 2017b).
Policy issue: Skills development, mentoring and networking
Although there is no dedicated government policy for women’s entrepreneurship in Poland, some women's organisations offer various types of support to help women develop their entrepreneurial skills. For example, the Women’s Leadership in Business Foundation provides mentoring programmes targeted at both women and men with the goal of shaping future women business leaders. Every year, subsequent editions of these fee-paying programmes are announced in Warsaw and Poznań.1 A second initiative, Vital Voices Poland, supports the annual Global Mentoring Walk in Warsaw each March. While walking together, successful leaders meet women who aspire to become leaders or entrepreneurs. The leaders counsel and advise mentees, discuss professional challenges and share experiences. These relationships are often long-lasting, as parties keep in touch as a means for continuing to share knowledge and skills.2 Women who run their own businesses, as well as those working as employees, can participate in the initiative. Launched in 2012, the Foundation for Female Entrepreneurship is one of Poland’s most comprehensive women-focused initiatives, designed to promote and develop entrepreneurship skills while also providing opportunities for networking and mentoring.3 This programme is targeted primarily at young women who are starting a business and looking for advice. Participation is free of charge, and participants receive mentoring support to refine their ideas and get started (e.g., assistance in registering the company). Participants also receive: (1) training related to business ownership and personal development in the form of a two-day entrepreneurship workshop for first time entrepreneurs; (2) networking meetings with other programme participants that allow participants to get to know each other, establish relationships and work together; (3) inspiration meetings, during which stories of successful women entrepreneurs are presented; and (4) an e-platform for networking. An annual conference, organised by the Foundation for Female Entrepreneurship, provides knowledge on current business topics and serves as a networking opportunity for approximately four hundred women who attend. The Foundation has also initiated the Black Swan Angels programme, a unique venture capital fund for women start-ups in Poland. It is worth pointing out, however, that even though there are many non-government initiatives, they do not reach everyone including women entrepreneurs and women who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs. These initiatives are mainly located in the biggest towns and serve the women who live there. Public policy is necessary in addressing equal opportunities for women regardless of where they live.
Conclusions and recommendations
Men are more likely to be self-employed than women in Poland. This is due, in part, to the fact that women are not encouraged educationally or socially to take the risk of owning a business. Government policy for promoting and supporting entrepreneurship among women is lacking. Similarly, government agencies at the regional level do not support women who launch businesses, nor do they provide special programmes targeted toward women entrepreneurs. Alternatively, women’s organisations fill this gap by providing skills training combined with mentoring and networking opportunities. Based on the Polish experience, the following recommendations are offered to policy makers to encourage women’s entrepreneurship.
Recommendations for Poland
Embed entrepreneurial education at secondary and tertiary levels among girls and young women to increase their awareness of entrepreneurship as a career option.
Create an e-platform for women entrepreneurs at the national level (via the Polish Agency of Entrepreneurship Development) as a means for sharing opportunities for education, training and contacts.
Establish regionally-based Women’s Business Centres to support the development of women’s entrepreneurial skills training, mentoring relationships and networks.
References
Labour Force Survey LFS (2019), Aktywność ekonomiczna ludności Polski IV kwartał 2018, GUS, Warszawa.
Lisowska E. (2004), “Business Initiative of Polish Women” in Gender and Economic Opportunities in Poland: Has Transition Left Women Behind?, Report No 29205, World Bank, Warsaw, pp. 45-70.
OECD (2019), Self-employed without employees (indicator), doi: 10.1787/5d5d0d63-en (accessed on 14 March 2019).
OECD (2017a), “Inclusive Entrepreneurship Policies. Country Assessment Notes Poland 2017”, http://www.oecd.org/industry/smes/POLAND-country-note-2017.pdf.
OECD (2017b), The Pursuit of Gender Equality. An Uphill Battle, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264281318-en.
PARP (2012), “Global Entrepreneurship Monitor: Poland”, Polish Agency of Entrepreneurship Development and University of Economics in Katowice, Warsaw.
PARP (2011), “Women Entrepreneurship in Poland”, Polish Agency of Entrepreneurship Development, Warsaw, http://badania.parp.gov.pl/files/74/75/76/479/13556.pdf.