A few words
About the VoWoCo
Who we are
VoWoCo is a committed partnership of changemakers empowering women’s entrepreneurial journeys across Europe.
- Mar 2025 - We submit the application
- Sep 2025 - We win the grant application
- Oct 2025 - kick-off meeting of the Project
- Feb 2026 - launching the skill matrix
- mar 2026 - publishing the executive report
- may 2027 - launching the online learning platform
- feb - oct 2027 - mentoring semester
- jan 2028 - end of the project period
VoWoCo – Volcanoes’ Women Co‑creation is an Erasmus+ project that empowers women who are returning to the labour market, changing career paths or revitalising their entrepreneurial journey.
The project brings together partners from Hungary, Türkiye, Italy and Portugal to strengthen women’s role in entrepreneurship and leadership through research, training, mentoring and policy innovation.
Across Europe, many women face interrupted careers, limited access to tailored training and a lack of visible role models when starting or growing a business. VoWoCo was launched to respond to these gaps by mapping real skill needs, offering flexible learning opportunities and building supportive mentoring relationships for women at different life stages.
Who is it for primarily?
- Women over the age of 25 with a high school, vocational school, or higher education degree
- Women returning to the labor market after maternity leave or long-term care periods
- Women considering a career change who want to start a business due to a lack of flexible employment opportunities
- Female entrepreneurs in a stagnant phase who are looking for innovation or a new direction, or who want to continue a family business
- Young or newly appointed female managers in small family-owned businesses who need to develop their leadership skills
The project title, "Volcanoes' Women Co-Creation" symbolizes the territorial focus, emphasizing inclusive economic empowerment.
The VoWoCo project is driven by a strong motivation to empower women transitioning into the workforce, revitalize female entrepreneurship, and foster leadership development.
In Europe and beyond, women face significant barriers in career progression, business growth, and leadership opportunities. The project addresses these critical challenges through a structured approach that combines mentoring, business training, and policy recommendations. Despite progress in gender equality, women entrepreneurs and professionals continue to encounter systemic obstacles.
These challenges require a transnational approach to develop scalable, adaptable solutions. The 2021/2080(INI)-07/04/2022 Committee report highlights that while women make up 52% of the European population, they represent only 34.4% of the self-employed and 30% of start-up entrepreneurs, with less than 8% in top CEO positions.
The VoWoCo partners are committed to supporting women in rural areas, where business opportunities and networking are limited. The online learning platform will provide accessible business education, helping to bridge the urban-rural gap.
- Limited access to funding and networks hinders business growth (as highlighted by Unioncamere and Fondazione Bellisario studies in Italy).
- Challenges in career transitions, especially for women returning to work after maternity leave (as shown in research from the University of the Azores on labor market access in remote areas).
- Underrepresentation in leadership roles, with fewer women holding managerial positions in both public and private sectors.
- Lack of flexible working conditions, making it difficult for women to balance professional and personal responsibilities. (In Hungary, the number of flexible, telecommuting jobs on the largest job search portal is less than 6%, which is why many women start their own business after having children.)
What do we offer?
- For women entrepreneurs and women in career transition: practical, multilingual learning modules, mentoring and peer‑to‑peer co‑creation to turn ideas into sustainable projects.
- For mentors and business leaders: tools and guidelines to support inclusive, gender‑sensitive mentoring and co‑creation processes.
- For policymakers and stakeholders: evidence‑based research reports, a skills matrix and policy recommendations to shape more supportive ecosystems for women in business.
Our partners
