TIRANA, Nov 20 /ATA/ – The Ministry of Economy and Innovation, in cooperation with global payments company Visa, hosted a roundtable on Thursday aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
The event, titled “Women Leaders Breakfast” and held at the Business House in Tirana’s Pyramid complex, brought together women leaders from various sectors to discuss opportunities and challenges facing women in business.
The roundtable provided a forum for exchanging ideas and experiences between entrepreneurs and industry experts, encouraging dialogue on how to strengthen women’s participation in the Albanian economy.
Deputy Economy and Innovation Minister Blerta Rama underlined the ministry’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunities and supporting women in building and developing their businesses through sustainable policies and assistance programmes.
Jovana Tufegdzic, Senior Corporate Communications Manager for Visa in Southeast Europe, highlighted the importance of the “She’s Next” initiative, which has supported more than 13,000 women entrepreneurs across the Balkans by offering financing opportunities, professional mentorship and networking.
Fabiola Duro, founder of INNVEST, said women’s economic empowerment was essential for Albania’s sustainable development, helping create jobs and boosting sectors such as agribusiness and tourism, where women are heavily engaged.
The discussions also stressed the importance of networks, access to professional guidance and tailored financial tools for women-led businesses.
A key moment of the event was the announcement of PressShield – a startup developing digital-security tools for journalists – as the winner of the 2025 “She’s Next” Hackathon.
Participants highlighted several priorities for strengthening women-led businesses in Albania, including improved access to finance, digitalisation and digital skills, professional support, international networking and dedicated structures to help companies scale up.
They also underscored the need for close cooperation between the public and private sectors to tackle structural barriers limiting the growth of women-owned enterprises and to expand equal opportunities.
The roundtable was viewed as an important step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for women entrepreneurs in Albania, at a time when women’s economic empowerment is seen as key to sustainable growth and community development.
Around 30% of active businesses in Albania are owned or managed by women, particularly in tourism, services, agribusiness and creative industries. Women-led firms are mostly micro or small, reflecting structural constraints, and only 11% have access to formal credit. Women’s labour force participation stands at about 53.5%.
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