The enterprise declined to women it’s a story made of numbers and, ultimately, they are always right. Small, medium and young companies, all companies, in short, are experiencing the passage through the minefield of one of the most complex crises of the twenty-first century. A scenario that inevitably pushes production activities to the edge of uncertainty. The scenario defined by Il Sole’s latest report on quality of life reveals encouraging signs in Calabria with gender employment figures growing in almost all provinces. Only in Cosenza (-3.9%) and Crotone (-4.1%) do the female shares remain of little importance in employment.
Demography
The female business makes a comeback. In the latest survey of October 30th, in Italy, the data reveal a consistency of 1,317,221 company sites managed by “captains”, which constitute 22.27% of the entire economic fabric. Essentially, one in five businesses is run by women. Numbers and trends that show a country still lagging behind in the European Union. The paradigm shift that the South is experiencing in the economy also affects female entrepreneurship which in the South shows signs of going against the trend. Businesses led by women are growing. In Calabria, there are 43,411 facilities in the squad which correspond to a density of 23.56% of the total. The strength of the gender entrepreneurial class is seen in the employment data with over 3 million workers in female businesses (14% of the total number of workers) while in Calabria there are 84 thousand workers who make up 20% of the regional total.
Tertiary
In Commerce, there are a total of 54,655 companies operating in Calabria with 102,643 employees. There are 13,001 women-run businesses (with a clear predominance of retail businesses), the weight is equal to 23.78% (the national average is 23.48%), while there are 22,352 workers (21.78% ) employees. Even the tourism sector, a historic driver of the Calabrian economy, is recording a growth trend in business as a whole. The weight of female tourism companies is 4,835 locations (27.58% the country average is 28.64%) with 10,907 employees (24.09% against a national average of 21.22%).
Dynamism Anna Gallo, from Cosenza, rose through the ranks to become national vice-president of the Confcommercio Women’s Tertiary Group. And from his observatory he enthusiastically evaluates the female comeback: «The most recent data confirm the increasingly important role of women in the economic fabric. In Italy, over 1.3 million female businesses represent 22.27% of the total, demonstrating the significant contribution of women entrepreneurs. At a regional level, in Calabria, this presence is even more marked, reaching 23.56%. These numbers, even higher than the national average, underline the ability and determination of local female entrepreneurs, who stand out for their resilience and strategic vision. The trade and tourism sectors confirm the significant weight of female businesses. In commerce, in the province of Cosenza, for example, 23.02% of businesses are run by women, a figure in line with the national and regional average. Even more significant is the employment impact: these companies employ 21% of the total workers in the Cosenza commercial sector, a value significantly higher than the national average of 16.07%. In tourism, a strategic sector for our economy, female businesses represent 27.58% of the total in Calabria, employing 24.09% of the sector’s workers. Also in this case, the employment weight exceeds the national average, which stands at 21.22%. These numbers demonstrate the ability of female entrepreneurs to enhance local resources and contribute to economic growth with an innovative and sustainable approach.”
Future There is only one way to stop the arrogance of the crisis: strengthen the banks of entrepreneurship with female resources. According to Anna Gallo, «the data confirms that women’s businesses are a fundamental pillar of the economy and a driver of innovation and social inclusion. However, for them to continue to grow and successfully face market challenges, it is essential that they are supported with targeted policies. I am referring, in particular, to facilitated access to credit, continuous training programs and the strengthening of networking networks. As president of the Women’s Tertiary Group of Confcommercio Cosenza, I am proud of the results achieved by the women entrepreneurs of our province and region. These successes, the result of commitment, competence and vision, represent a concrete example of the fundamental contribution of women to the local economy. It is crucial that they are supported with strategic interventions to strengthen their competitiveness and consolidate their role in economic and social progress.”