Supporting Female Entrepreneurs: Women in Progress
During the post-communist transition period, Georgian women took on numerous responsibilities to support their families. In rural areas, however, patriarchal social systems limited women’s role outside the home. But the lack of opportunities did not reduce women’s desire to think of innovative, entrepreneurial activities.
In 2008, with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Eurasia Partnership Foundation funded Women’s Fund, a Georgian NGO focused on empowering women to participate as equals in Georgian society. The project targeted potential women entrepreneurs in Imereti and Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, who received training in small business start-up. The training course, How to Start Your Own Business, was based on a course developed by the Dutch-based Friends of Georgia Foundation (SVVG) in cooperation with the University of Groningen’s Department of Entrepreneurship. The course had been previously tested in Ajara and Kakheti, Georgia, and proved to be a successful tool for engaging women in business.
Through the training, Women’s Fund assisted participants in refining their business ideas and designing cogent business plans. The participants were then linked with microfinance institutions (MFIs) to seek funding for their plans. Women’s Fund intended to support participants’ loan applications by providing loan guarantees with money raised from Dutch Rotary Clubs.
Of the 46 women trained, 21 have started businesses, including guesthouses, fisheries, bakeries, beauty salons, and computer centers that are still operating today. Ten of these businesses received a loan from an MFI (without the need for a loan guarantee), while the remaining 11 entrepreneurs managed to raise start-up funds on their own. In May 2009, five female entrepreneurs received additional loans from MFIs to expand their businesses. In total, more than 24 jobs were created by the new businesses.
In January 2009, Women’s Fund presented the project results to various stakeholders, including the deputy minister of economic development. Representatives of MFIs who attended expressed an interest in cooperating with the organization, should the activities be replicated in East Georgia.
Roza Shukvani-Chartolani was one of the participants of the training. With support from Women’s Fund, she established a guesthouse in Mestia, Svaneti, which she runs with the help of her husband and two daughters. “Participation in the training in Zugdidi pushed me to start thinking about launching a small business. I received a small loan from Lazika Capital and started my own guesthouse in Mestia,” says Roza. Later she received two additional loans from the same MFI to further improve the guesthouse. Along with accommodation, Roza’s guesthouse offers additional services to guests, including transportation to remote destinations in Svaneti.
The winners of the 2010 competition for small grants
Grant Competition: Open Door
The winners of the grant 2010 Grant Competition
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