Project meeting in Spain 31th Mars - 1st April 08

Monday, 31 Mars 08 - Gijon (ES)

Morning

Welcome and introduction
Breakfast with the Mayoress Doña Paz Felguerosa. Presentation of the FEMALE project to the audience and the press.

Feedback from all partners on the project activities since the last meeting: feedback from each partner on the availability of women entrepreneurs interviewed during 1st step to take part in the 2nd phase.

Afternoon

Presentation of ASEM Mentoring School: Maria Luisa de Miguel presented the ASEM Mentoring School and its main activities explaining us all phases carried out during the training programmes for the mentorees and the importance of the relation mentor/mentoree.

For the dinner we were invited by ASEM to their monthly dinner.

Tuesday, 1 April 08 - Candas (ES)

Meeting with the Directora del Área de Igualdad del Ayuntamiento de Gijón: presentation of data on the municipality of Gijon and the history on equal policies and instruments since 1978.

Lunch in Candás with the mayor. We were received by the municipality and its delegation which presented the local context of Candás.

Afternoon

Reception by Amalia Fernandez , Concejala de Desarrollo local e Igualdad. Casa de Encuentros de Mujeres: “ Programa para la incorporación de la mujer en el mundo laboral.”
Visit to Embutidos Santa Rita.

Return to Gijón and dinner in typical cider cellar Lagar de Cabueñes.

End of the meeting..

Friday, 07 Dec 07 - Toulon (France)

All partners contributed to the definition of the time planning for 2008 and the implementation of the FEMALE web site http://www.female-project.eu

We met the Chamber of trade and of Craft of the Var grouping 25000 enterprises: presententation of the specific actions of female entrepreneurship showing data on the situation in the Var. We discussed in particular on professions traditionally managed by men, but more and more interesting for women.

Afternoon:

We visited the centre of Toulon.

In the late afternoon we met ATIRE, Platform of Local Initiatives. Eugénie DELMAS, woman Manager, presented briefly the activities of her organization supporting people in difficulty (because of the age, the fact to be woman, etc.) in the creation, the development and the renewal of business activities. ATIRE is a platform existing in the Var distributed in peripheral area to reach more easily people interested to starting a business.

Third project meeting in France 06 -07 December 2007

Thursday, 06 Dec 07 - Toulon (France)

Morning:

Welcome and introduction: the project coordinator (Tk Formazione srl) illustrated the activities carried out during the first year (2006-07) and presented next deadlines and activities to carry out during the second year (2007-08).

All partners presented their activities since the last meeting. Presentation of the questionnaires and report: each partner presented the main results achieved in their country through the questionnaires submitted to 8 women entrepreneurs focusing on:


1. The persons we have interviewed: short presentation of the persons interviewed – who are they?
2. A short list with the main factors contributing to success in business for the interviewees on the base of the collected questionnaires
3. A short list with the main elements influencing negatively their business.

The general results achieved in each country showed that the problems related to female entrepreneurship in all partners countries are almost the same: lack of capital investment, reconciliation between work and family, etc.
Moreover we find that the main problems related to entrepreneurship are the same for both men and women.

Presentation of female entrepreneurship in France: Proget83 presented briefly the female entrepreneurship in France with particular attention to the Var Department. Furthermore Séverine Bemka presented the female entrepreneurship situation in France showing statistical data.



Afternoon:

We met local partners in Toulon.




Couveuse d’entreprise: the Incubator Company includes 500 enterprises supporting them to the creation and the development of their activities through technical, administrative, accounting advice.

Boutique de Gestion : the Boutique de Gestion is a national network for the creation and development of enterprises.



Employers' union of the Var: UPV in Toulon is a union of 5000 local companies in the south of France. The UPV aims at representing small and medium enterprises by means of lobbying towards government and public organization. They support employers as well as employees from an economical, financial, legal and social point of view.

Evening:


We had a dinner in a typical restaurant where we eat French specialities and drank good vine in a very nice atmosphere.

Bon Appétit!!

Project meeting: 4th day

Thursday, 17 May

PBCC and the partners were welcomed by Lithuanian Labour Market Training Authority in Panevėžys. The director presented the main activities of the centre. The target groups are convicts (people in danger of social exclusion), students and unemployed.

The centre provides career guidance, psychological counselling to the target groups and also runs a job club. The LLMTA, which exists in major cities in Lithuania, was founded and is funded by the ministry of social security and labour of the Republic of Lithuania. Special projects are also funded by the European Social Fund.

During the final meeting the project was evaluated and ideas were put forward for further work.

Project meeting: 3rd day

Wednesday, 16 May 07

Project partners participated in the conference “Women’s Roles: Stereotypes and Perspectives”.

The event was aimed at analysing the particular obstacles that prevent women from fully participating in business and social life. The partners made presentations on women entrepreneurship in their countries.

"Feminine Entrepreneurship in Italy”, Michela Calabrese, Tk Formazione Srl

“Feminine Entrepreneurship in Finland”, Satu Laitila, Åbo Akademi

“Feminine Entrepreneurship in Spain”, Maureen B. Lawton, ASEM

“Feminine Entrepreneurship in France”, Severine Bemka, ProGet 83

“Feminine Entrepreneurship in Germany”, Florian Hans, Deutsche Angestellten-Akademie

In the afternoon the time was dedicated to the places of interest within the city of Panevėžys........

Project meeting: 2nd day

Tuesday, 15 May 07


In the morning we visited Vilnius accompagnied by a touristic guide.....

On return to Panevėžys the partners were welcomed by the president of the Active Women organisation.

She presented the organisation and the wide range of regional and national activities. The organisation is one year old and its members are active in different political parties.

The partners intermingled with the members of the organisation over tea and cakes.

Second project meeting in Lithuania 14-17 May 2007

Monday 14 May 07 - Panevėžys, Lithuania

Our second meeting was in Lithuania. The Panevėžys Business Consultancy Centre (PBCC) welcomed all partners in their office.

As first thing, each partner presented its project activities since the last meeting.

It has been a pleasure to meet all partners again!

Afterwards we attended a meeting with the governor of Panevėžys County.

The governor explained the situation of women in employment and in politics. A debate followed focusing on the situation of the female in each country.


Later we were transferred to a local farmstead run by a woman entrepreneur, as an example of agrotourism in Lithuania.


The business woman started the farmstead in 1997. She was one of the first to start an agrotourism business in Lithuania.



In 10 years her business has gone from three rooms to 50 rooms in three buildings. She also provides conference and wedding services. Furthermore she was one of the founders of the rural tourism association of Lithuania.


And in the evening.......we were invited to taste typical local products in the farmstead restaurant.





I sveikata!!