Article 4. Breaking Barriers Report
Breaking Barriers Report

November 2025: Breaking Barriers: Understanding the Challenges Young Women Entrepreneurs Face

A new report from the Leaders for Future project reveals the real obstacles young women face when starting a business in seven countries.

Listening to Young Women

The Breaking Barriers report is based on direct conversations with 70 young women aged 18 to 30 from Spain, Greece, Norway, Kosovo, Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some were already running a business. Others were thinking about starting one.

Their voices and experiences became the foundation of the research.

More Than Just Technical Skills

The report found that psychological readiness is just as critical as technical skills for entrepreneurial success. Many young women have good business ideas. They are creative and motivated. But they often lack confidence in their ability to make decisions, pitch ideas, or take risks.

Key Barriers Identified

The research identified several clear obstacles:

  • Lack of self-confidence – especially when making decisions or presenting ideas to others
  • Fear of failure – leading to high levels of risk aversion
  • Societal pressure – to choose stable, traditional employment over starting a business
  • Limited financial literacy – including business planning and digital skills
  • Unpaid care work – which falls disproportionately on young women
  • Poor access to networks and funding – including mentoring and inclusive support systems

A Detailed Picture Across Seven Countries

The report gives a detailed picture of what young women entrepreneurs experience in each country. It covers access to resources, mentoring, inclusive policies, and the wider support systems that enable growth.

If you want to understand the real challenges young women face when starting a business, this report is a valuable resource.

📄 Read the full report here:
https://leaders4future.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/EN_LEADERS-4-FUTURE.pdf

CERTIFICATE TEST

1. How does the role of a youth worker in mindset empowerment differ from that of a technical advisor?
2. Which of the following progression levels is primarily characterised by the learner Taking Responsibility for making decisions and working with others?
3. Which of the following is not aligned with Gender-Responsive Design principles?
4. The entrepreneurial ecosystem is limited to business investors
5. What is the primary reason for the “confidence gap” observed among young women entrepreneurs?
6. Is intersectionality concerned with how multiple identities—such as gender, class, and disability—combine to shape an individual’s experience?
7. When coaching young female entrepreneurs, youth workers should generally advise separating business and personal social media accounts to manage digital risk
8. What is a key benefit of ecosystem mapping for youth workers?
9. During the “Cultivation” phase of a mentoring relationship, what is the main goal?
10. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of Module 1?
11. Can youth workers act as advocates for gender-inclusive entrepreneurship policies?
12. Which competence is focused on reflecting on individual strengths and weaknesses and believing in one's ability to influence the course of events, despite setbacks?
13. The module describes “Imposter Syndrome” as a specific obstacle for women entrepreneurs. What does this term refer to?
14. Which method helps youth workers build confidence and resilience in young women?
15. Communication for empowerment primarily aims to
16. According to the training material, what is the primary purpose of taxation for a country's government activities?
17. Empathy is a key component of Emotional Intelligence. In a business context, what does empathy enable an entrepreneur to do?
18. Gender-Responsive Design focuses only on women’s access to finance, not on social or psychological barriers
19. Policy awareness has little relevance for youth work
20. How many core competence areas does the EntreComp framework identify?
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