by Nina Vaclavikova
Interview: Antonio Paoletti, president of the Chamber of Commerce Venezia Giulia
November — a month dedicated in Italy to raising awareness about violence against women — has also become a moment to spotlight women’s economic participation. In Trieste, the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce on Monday presented a slate of programs focused on supporting female entrepreneurs across the region.
Women remain a minority in the business landscape of Friuli Venezia Giulia, though their share is growing. As of the end of the third quarter of 2025, the region counted 137,017 individuals in entrepreneurial roles, including owners, partners and directors. Women made up 39,493 of them, or 28.8 percent, compared with a national rate of 27.9 percent. In the Venezia Giulia area specifically, 19,959 of 87,087 active companies were classified as female-led, where women hold more than half of decision-making power, yielding a “feminization rate” of 22.9 percent.
One persistent challenge for women entrepreneurs in Italy is access to credit. “A major issue for female-run businesses is financing,” said Antonio Paoletti, president of the Chamber of Commerce. He noted that women receive about 20 percent of individually allocated private loans in Italy, a gap that has prompted the chamber to expand training and create dedicated financial tools.
Among the initiatives presented was Donne in Affari: il potere dell’educazione finanziaria (“Women in Business: the Power of Financial Education”), a guide produced by the chamber’s Committee for Female Entrepreneurship. The publication aims to improve financial literacy and resilience among women business owners, and has been accompanied throughout the year by free thematic webinars.
Those efforts will culminate on November 21 in Gorizia with a conference titled “Women and Culture Beyond the Border,” centered on the role of women in fostering collaboration and cultural identity in a historically sensitive cross-border area between Italy and Slovenia.
The chamber also announced “Gestione Donna,” a financing initiative created with Confidi Venezia Giulia to improve access to credit for small women-led businesses in the region. “The aim is to support liquidity needs and investment projects for smaller female-run companies,” said Pierluigi Medeot, director of Confidi Venezia Giulia. Loans of up to €200,000 will be available through a streamlined process intended to deliver rapid responses to applicants.
The program responds to requests from entrepreneurs involved in the chamber’s advisory committee, including Aleksandra Pangerc, who underscored the importance of fast, clear financial mechanisms for women starting and growing businesses.
For many leaders present, the initiatives underscore a broader shift toward strengthening women’s economic presence as part of the region’s development strategy. “The conference will highlight the central role women play in building shared identity and fostering social and business ties across borders,” said Patrizia Andolfatto, chief operating officer of Aries Scarl, the chamber’s in-house development agency.
While November places a national spotlight on issues affecting women, officials in Venezia Giulia stressed that expanding opportunities for female entrepreneurs must remain a year-round effort — economically, culturally and socially.
