The defining feature of entrepreneurship in today’s global economy is the focus on change in women’s access to economic life. Share of women in the workforce particularly in services sector continuously increases in parallel with the global contraction of public sector and more flexible labor markets. Women entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to participate even more in professional life. However, it is not possible to say that the potential of women entrepreneurs are fully reflected in the economy.

The mission of increasing the share of women in national, regional and international economies falls to the Chambers, being the high-level representatives of the private sector. Within this context, ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as the representative of private sector in the ECO region stands for the economic empowerment of women and enhancement of women entrepreneurship.

The core idea of ECO CCI Women Entrepreneurs Council’s foundation is to facilitate the development and enhancement of women entrepreneurship among ECO countries, namely the Republic of Turkey, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Islamic State of Afghanistan, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women Entrepreneurs Council covers a wide spectrum of activities encompassing:

­- Establishment of a women’s network that will enable the exchange of information among women entrepreneurs in the ECO region
­- Training programs, seminars, workshops to improve the technical skills of entrepreneurial women
­- Interaction with other international women’s organizations

ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women Entrepreneurs Council envisions that the realization of these activities will in turn provide the assessment of women’s effective contributions to economic life in the ECO region.