Armenia

Armenia Country Gender Assessmentthat to get ahead, a businesswoman must be an “iron lady.” 268 A focus group participant inAshtarak said that if a woman is very active in business, people would “ask if there was noman in her family.”194. Although there are some negative associations between women and business, theyare not considered insurmountable. At the family level, women who may not have at firstconsidered themselves businesswomen are quick to make the transition once they make aprofit and can see their successes. Likewise, family members are said to be accepting andsupportive of women once they see the benefit of additional household income. Still, it waspointed out that greater publicity, through mass media, of women’s success stories wouldhelp change societal perceptions about female entrepreneurs.195. Women who want to start a business face much more severe time constraintsthan men, based on the fact that they must combine their business responsibilitieswith domestic duties. As one interviewee phrased it, “no one frees a woman from herhousework, even if she’s an entrepreneur.” Another noted that many women would feelguilty if they devoted too much time to a business venture, especially if it took them awayfrom the family. Men are largely freed from these kinds of duties and can, and are evenexpected to, concentrate on establishing or growing a business. Another indication of thetime constraints women face is the fact that they tend to start businesses when they arein middle age (over 40 years old), after they have raised children and have more free time.There are few young women in start-ups, which raises questions about whether womenhave sufficient time to grow their businesses.196. Varied approaches to promoting women’s entrepreneurship. Manyinternational organizations in Armenia are supporting projects that aim to increase femaleentrepreneurship. Such projects range from grass roots handicraft initiatives in variousBox 3:Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year AwardIn 2012, the Ministry of Economy launched a pilot award for female entrepreneurs and women’s micro,small, and medium-sized enterprises. Eleven awards were given, and the initiative was established as anannual campaign.The following year, the Prime Minister announced the Best Female Entrepreneur Award as a means ofinspiring female entrepreneurs to contribute to the county’s economic development and to publiclyacknowledge and support businesswomen in Armenia. a Women were nominated in six categories:(i) best female employer, (ii) best female innovator, (iii) best philanthropist, (iv) best brand developed bya female entrepreneur, (v) best young female entrepreneur, and (vi) best start-up.Over 150 nominations were received, and the winners represented such diverse business ventures asnatural cosmetics, organic vegetable growing, and fashion. The Small and Medium EntrepreneurshipDevelopment National Center has profiled a number of successful businesswomen on its website and inthe press.a Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center. 2013. Best Woman Entrepreneur—RA PrimeMinister’s Award. 13 March. http://www.smednc.am/en/news/articles/best-woman-entrepreneur-2014-ra-primeminister’s-award.html268 Study on Women’s SMEs in Armenia, p. 28.58