UNIDO International Forum
Increasing the Contribution of Women to Economic Growth and Prosperity: Creating an Enabling Environment International Forum opened on 23 May during the starting day of SPIEF 2018. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) together with the OPORA RUSSIA Committee on Developing Women’s Entrepreneurship organized the event.
The International Forum received a greeting from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov. The head of the international ministry noted that the Forum, which shares the venue with SPIEF for the second time, is a great illustration of UNIDO and OPORA RUSSIA cooperation, and welcomed their productive work in promoting women’s entrepreneurship.
Speakers at the opening ceremony included Galina Karelova, Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Jacek Cukrowski, Chief of the Europe and Central Asia Division of UNIDO; Alexander Kalinin, President, OPORA RUSSIA; Nadiya Cherkasova, Chairman of the Committee for the Development of Women's Entrepreneurship OPORA RUSSIA.
In their addresses the speakers noted the great potential of women's entrepreneurship (according to VCIOM estimates, about 25% of women in Russia would like to become entrepreneurs) and talked about steps to push women's entrepreneurship towards becoming the driver of the Russian economy.
