Gender Inequalities in Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Times of Crisis

The policy brief “Gender Inequalities in Entrepreneurship: Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Times of Crisis” provides an overview of the key barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic and presents recommendations for creating a more gender-equal business environment. It builds on a participatory workshop organized by the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences within the Gendered Innovation Living Labs (GILL)project, which brought together representatives from public administration, academia, the business sector, and non-profit organizations. The discussion focused on the impact of crises such as the pandemic and inflation wave on women’s entrepreneurship, critically assessed the available support tools, and highlighted the need for systemic changes — for example, in setting minimum social contributions or introducing attendance allowances for the self-employed. The brief places particular emphasis on the importance of sex-disaggregated data for designing fair and effective policies. The text offers both inspiration and concrete suggestions for improving the conditions for women entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic.