Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Russian delegation, I would like to express my hearty greetings to all the colleagues and guests who have gathered on the hospitable Korean land to attend the 10th APEC WLN Meeting. Let me acknowledge organizers for opportunity to take part in the discussion on important issues of the development of woman’s entrepreneurship.

The Russian women’s community has so far stood apart from the Network activities. Starting from today, we are with you.

I am convinced that interest in the activities of the APEC WLN will grow in Russia and representation of Russian women will be expanded.

The agenda of the meeting and presentations of the distinguished speakers seems to us very exciting.

The main source of national development lies in the intellectual and creative potential of the people. No dynamic innovative development would be possible without equal opportunities for men and women. The more active women are in entrepreneurship, the greater the economic innovation potential and the national competitiveness.
Many Russian women entrepreneurs have prospered through their inventiveness and flexible mentality. They have made innovation an integral part of business – both in technology and in management.

In short, we have similar concerns, and we regard our participation in the Network as a unique opportunity to gain important experience. Today, we will, for the most part, be listeners and observers. We have a great deal to learn. In this context, it is very good that APEC unites economies with different levels of women entrepreneurship and women entrepreneur movement.

But I can assure all of you that in Russian women the Network has acquired a capable and responsible partner. We will do our best to make a tangible contribution in our joint work. Russia is rich in intelligent, active and enterprising women.

All the above is especially true for entrepreneurship. The first generation of Russian women entrepreneurs was formed under extremely complex conditions of democracy and market economy development. Today, as civilized economic relations develop, new horizons are opening up before our women.

In such a situation, efforts aimed at formation of a new generation of women entrepreneurs are of great significance. Girls should be taught self-confidence from early age. We need active mentoring, promotion of success stories of self-made women in entrepreneurship and business administration. We need institutes to support women entrepreneurship and to grant access for beginners to financial resources and consulting services.

For today’s meeting, the Committee of Women Leadership and Women Entrepreneurship Development under the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship has prepared a brief on the subject “Russian Woman in State Governance and Business”.

You have this information paper in your hands. It will help you form a general idea of the woman’s position in the Russian political and economic power system, of the development level, specifics and potential of women business.

Let me highlight several key aspects for you.
For the years of democratic development, the role of woman in the Russian state power system has remained rather small. Moreover, we are witnessing a deteriorating quality of women’s participation in power.

I believe, such a situation is rooted in unequal starting conditions and an unequal social and economic potential, with which Russian men and women entered the era of democracy and market economy in late 1980’s – early 1990’s, as well as in mental stereotypes and lack of organization in the women’s movement.

In the recent years, the center of women’s leadership in Russia has consistently shifted from policy to business.
Although big business still remains men’s estate, women dominate as leaders of small and medium businesses.

Certain estimates rate Russia first by the share of women among business leaders. Woman business is 1.7 times more dynamic than man’s. One third of all Russian managers are women. To business, women contribute intellect, management culture, and social responsibility.

There is no doubt that women’s business in Russia is no longer something exotic. It has become an important social and economic driver. There are lots of outstanding examples of women’s leadership in entrepreneurship.

However, two aspects should be kept in mind when speaking about business success of Russian women. The first one is that women in Russia often come to business and stay there contrary to the circumstances. Opening a business is often the only opportunity for a woman to fully realize her potential and achieve real professional success.
Women succeed through huge efforts, often sacrificing families to career.

An important cause of woman’s business activity lies in impossibility to support the family because of a very low level of remuneration in budget institutions of culture and art, health and education.

The second aspect is that in general, the position of woman in Russia does not reflect her contribution in the national development. The woman does not have due influence on important state decisions or access to key centers of economic power. The gender balance in Russia today does not meet the advanced standards and is but a weak stimulus for stable national development.

The development of woman’s entrepreneurship is the key condition to change of such unpropitious lie of the land.
However, as such, a changed economic status of the woman does not guarantee a more visible presence in state governance in the future. Woman leaders and women’s public organizations have to join efforts in order to reach the goals of the national scale.

Really influential women’s organizations have so far not taken shape in Russia. There is no permanent “site” for a dialogue between the power and the women’s business community. In this context, we are very much interested in the work of the National Women’s Business Council in the US and other similar “sites”, their organizational and legal forms, functions, and authority.

The Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship is a big national entrepreneur association that pays special attention to the problems of women entrepreneurship and women leadership.

We have held dozens congresses, conferences, round-table meetings and forums, which have become sites for discussion, places for making new contacts and sharing experience. The Academy has instituted and annually awards the Olympia National Award for Public Recognition of Russian Women’s Achievements. It also issues an almanac - “Famous Women of Russia”.

Training center of the Academy gives access to high-quality business education and best practices analysis to women representing regional small businesses.

The Academy in cooperation with the Committee 20 – Russian partner of the Committee 200 in the United States – realizes the programme of mentoring, within beginners women-entrepreneurs get support by colleagues succeeded in business.

In May, the Committee of Women Leadership and Women Entrepreneurship Development was set up within the Russian Academy of Business and Entrepreneurship. The Committee is to become an important center of public and professional activity of Russian woman leaders.

Russia is the huge country with different level of woman’s movement and entrepreneurship. The Committee’s priority is to apply advanced models of support of women-entrepreneurs in regions, uniting efforts and developing joint programme of action.

For Russian women, participation in the Network’s activities is an important direction of our integration in the world’s woman leader movement.

Thank you all for your attention, and I would like to express special gratitude to our Korean colleagues for the excellent organization of the meeting and the warm welcome.