Women’s Entrepreneurial Sandwich

The journey to the summit in Brussels – ‘Women Entrepreneurship – Making Business Meaningful’ took place from October 16 to 18, and, like any trip involving women, especially when you are an entrepreneur, it involves a challenging juggling of time.

Finishing all tasks before the trip: children, work, home, packing, hair… In other words, there are about two hours left for sleep. After two hours of sleep, I headed to the airport. It was raining, gloomy weather just like our everyday life. I wasn’t exactly sure how many ambassadors were going to the summit; I expected five or six, but there were 13 women there. Man, moving all these women as real ambassadors to our representations would be quite a task.

I thought about how and why this trip makes me happy. First of all, I will have time just for myself, without phones, questions, and follow-up questions. Until I arrive in Brussels, I will think only about chocolates and peace. The plane was packed with both business people and politicians, who would explain to their friends from Europe how we live, a comfortable and carefree life. We arrived in Brussels and waited to pass through customs, when someone shouted: ‘The EU counter is free, we could go through there!’. We asked a wandering customs officer for a quick pass, and he briefly replied: ‘No, not yet.’ However, when the customs officer reached the end of our female line, he changed his mind and said: ‘Croatia – you may pass through EU gate’ – the women definitely knocked him off his feet, and we loudly applauded his ‘difficult’ decision, causing a general laugh at customs. By chance, I was the first at the counter, and someone later commented that I was the first, even before recognition, to enter the EU. After so many years of traveling through Europe, it never occurred to me that I couldn’t go through the EU doors. This short anecdote is a micro message to Croatia, a little yes, a little no in the EU, you can never be sure.

I headed to the center. That day there was a football match Belgium – Scotland, and everything was full of frozen white, hairy legs, thousands of tourists… Then I noticed something that Zagreb must change. In the main square, as well as in several side streets, there is not a single food store. If you want a little water, spend five euros. In the entire city center, there are only specialized stores with their brands. Of course, after a whole day of walking, one gets hungry, and so did I, and considering that it was my first time in Brussels, where to find something to eat? Hamburgers are offered, puff pastries in a hundred ways, waffles with whipped cream that stands so firmly that it doesn’t even occur to you that it’s edible. Advice for future tourists – sometimes don’t eat something you can’t see in a picture or isn’t in self-service.

The next day I headed to the Congress Center located in the very center. The center is huge, with all the facilities that a congress center must have, I just didn’t understand why the working breakfast was in a darkened hall with purple lights, it looked like a brothel, it must have been designed by a man who perceives women that way. After the working breakfast, we entered the congress hall, and seeing 700 women and only a dozen men was really fun. I asked a Belgian cameraman to take a picture of our Croatian delegation, and he got all flustered and started saying unprovoked – ‘I am your enemy – I am married’, we died laughing, how many women can throw men off balance.

The conference and workshops went as expected, a little talk, a little questions. A historic conclusion was reached that women are the only untapped force in Europe and that this must finally be utilized. Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency in the European Commission, assures that it will create conditions for the development of women’s entrepreneurship so that women can realize their dreams. We also received information that special measures have been adopted to encourage certain branches of entrepreneurship, but they did not specify which ones, further statements were made – Our duty is to protect the business world – we will continue the ambassadors program, we will encourage women entrepreneurs… The panel discussed how women’s problem is that they are too perfectionistic, that they are too demanding, their problem is self-confidence, and a unique conclusion was reached – all the men of Europe should be turned into Norwegians! It turned out that Norwegians help women the most and encourage their entrepreneurship. I can just imagine our Balkans as Norwegians!

The panel that interested me the most, which is access to financing sources – did not bring anything new, except for the network of female business angels, the rest was just talk, without concrete things. At the closing session, it was shown what women can do to men – even the German Minister of Economy and Technology Ernst Burgbacher played the harmonica to impress the women. After the session, there was a cocktail, and after the cocktail, a gala dinner. The gala dinner turned into a gala show. Women in evening gowns, along with of course a few lonely-looking men who appeared so lost and alone.

I am at the very end of my stay in Brussels. All in all, it reminded me of a big sandwich. A row of women, a row of stories, a row of coffee and canapés, then more stories, a little juice and wine, then again a row of stories. The message of the whole gathering comes to mind – let’s connect, make a lot of sandwiches, take a bite, and the whole world is ours. This is especially important for Croatia; until we take a bite of the common sandwich and connect, we will always be on the margins of events, everything else is just stories.

Martina Klepić Novalija, EU Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship, external consultant for entrepreneurship at EBRD, Senior Industrial Advisor for EGP Program, consultant for BAS program – Croatia – EBRD and external expert in the field of European and international affairs CEI