Women in business are pushing boundaries and conquering markets in a wide variety of fields, it was announced at a solemn ceremony organized in the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, where more than 70 ŽIG Women’s Business certificates were awarded.
ŽIG, which symbolizes confirmation of the authenticity and importance of women’s businesses, was awarded to companies from all Montenegrin regions. This, as announced at the ceremony, is proof that the entrepreneurial spirit knows no borders and is developing in all parts of Montenegro.
“In the public register on the website of the Secretariat of the Competitiveness Council, we have listed 180 companies that met the very demanding criteria of the international document IWA 34, which defines women’s businesses. Therefore, we have a group of successful businesswomen who deserve our respect, but also the attention that should be directed towards removing barriers to doing business”, said Jelena Ćirković, chief expert for management and competitiveness for Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina at the European Bank for reconstruction and development.

According to Ćirković, it is planned to collect additional information about the challenges faced by this target group through further direct communication with the trademark holders, by sending an online questionnaire, in order to establish mechanisms to eliminate those challenges and suggest the competent institutions to do so.
Rachel de Souza, head of the political team at the British Embassy in Montenegro, said that gender equality is key to the foreign policy and development strategy of the Government of the United Kingdom.
“When developing programs, we take care that they contribute to gender equality in various areas. The economic empowerment of women promotes gender equality and encourages the improvement of the business environment, which benefits the development of the entire society and every economy. We have witnessed that women face numerous obstacles when starting a business, but also later during its management”, said de Souza.
Ljiljana Burzan-Nikolić, executive director of the agency for creative communications, BI Communication, said that ŽIG Women’s Business was awarded to companies in Podgorica, Bar, Nikšić, Bijelo Polje, Kotor, Budva, Tivat, Herceg Novi, Tuzi, Berane, Kolašin, Plav Ulcinj , Danilovgrad, Pljevlja and Rožaj, “which clearly shows that the entrepreneurial spirit knows no borders and is developing in all parts of our country.”
“As far as activities are concerned, we are proud that among the winners are companies from various sectors – from the dominant professional, scientific and technical activities, through the processing industry, all the way to trade and other service activities. This diversity is the best indicator that women in business are pushing the boundaries and conquering markets in the most diverse fields”, said Burzan-Nikolić.
The ŽIG Women’s Business project was launched by the Secretariat of the Council for Competitiveness, with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Government of the United Kingdom, through the British Embassy in Podgorica. The partner on this project is the agency for creative communications BI Communication, in cooperation with the provider of business information BI Consulting.