Women’s entrepreneurship is a strategic issue for Europe’s competitiveness, innovation and territorial development. According to the European Commission/EISMEA, the EU could count 5.5 million additional women entrepreneurs if women had the same opportunities to start and manage a business as men. This confirms that the gender gap in entrepreneurship is not only a matter of equality, but also an untapped economic potential for Europe.
In Italy, women-led businesses are a central part of the productive system. The latest Unioncamere report on women’s entrepreneurship records more than 1.3 million women-led enterprises, equal to 22.2% of all Italian businesses. These figures highlight the importance of strengthening dedicated support measures, particularly in areas such as access to finance, skills, innovation, business growth and networking.
Against this background, Unioncamere Europa’s action aims to connect the priorities emerging from Italian territories with the European debate, while bringing back to the Chamber system information, contacts and opportunities that can support women entrepreneurs in concrete terms. This work develops through policy monitoring, advocacy, European networking and direct dialogue with the Italian Chamber network.
This work, however, is not a one-way street. While we translate EU opportunities for Italy, we also advocate for the Italian Chambers' voice to Brussels - particularly on the need for simplified administrative procedures and guarantee schemes that better reflect the smaller average size of women-led Italian firms. This bidirectional flow is essential, especially on critical issues such as access to finance. At European level, Unioncamere Europa follows initiatives and discussions dedicated to women’s entrepreneurship, with particular attention to entrepreneurial skills, the role of Chambers of Commerce, and - crucially - financial inclusion. This includes exchanges with Eurochambres, participation in the Community of Interest on Women Entrepreneurship, and meetings aimed at identifying common priorities and good practices across the European Chamber network.
Brussels-based events also represent an important source of analysis and input. Initiatives such as Women in EU Capital Markets: Investing in Equality focused on the gender investment gap and women’s financial inclusion, while Becoming Entrepreneurial: The Journey of Purpose-Driven Founders highlighted the importance of role models, mentoring and practical support for women founders. These moments help Unioncamere Europa collect useful insights and translate European discussions into information that can be shared with the Italian system.
Access to finance remains one of the key challenges. The Eurochambres Women Entrepreneurs Survey 2025, based on 897 responses from 34 countries, shows that 75% of women entrepreneurs used personal savings to start their business, while only 27% obtained a bank loan. The survey also highlights bureaucracy, work-life balance and liquidity as major obstacles for women entrepreneurs.
Unioncamere Europa brings these European inputs back to Italy through targeted information and capacity-building activities. A concrete example was the OggiEuropa webinar on women’s entrepreneurship, organised for the Italian Chamber network. The session included an overview of EU programmes and instruments, a contribution from Eurochambres on the European Women Network, a presentation by Si.Camera on the national framework, and the example of the European project WomenESEPack by the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano.
Unioncamere Europa also contributed remotely to the Giro d’Italia delle donne che fanno impresa, presenting European initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs during the Lecce stage. The initiative, coordinated at national level by Unioncamere, was conceived as an operational hub with debates, networking moments, orientation desks, mentoring areas and workshops to support the growth of women-led businesses.
This dialogue continued in Milan, where Unioncamere Europa met women entrepreneurs and representatives of the Lombardy Committees for Women’s Entrepreneurship during an in-person exchange organised by Unioncamere Lombardia. The meeting offered an opportunity to discuss the activities carried out at European level and to reflect on how EU tools can become concrete levers for territorial growth.
Through these activities, Unioncamere Europa acts as a bridge between Brussels and Italy: it brings the needs of women-led businesses into the European debate and helps the Italian Chamber system turn European policies, networks and programmes into practical opportunities for enterprises and territories.