Women in local business- youth perspective from Greece and Poland.

Women are playing an increasingly important role in local business in both Poland and Greece, and young people from both countries are increasingly recognizing their importance as leaders and innovators. In Poland, young people see women as active participants in economic life, often pointing to them as small business owners, managers or inspiring figures on social media. In Greece, young people also see women in business, although more often in the context of family businesses, traditional crafts and activities related to tourism or gastronomy. In both Poland and Greece, young people see the opportunities that educational programs, European funds and growing social awareness of gender equality offer women. At the same time, they emphasize barriers such as stereotypes, difficulties in reconciling family responsibilities with running a business, as well as limited access to financing, especially in rural areas. Young people are increasingly willing to participate in projects promoting entrepreneurship and equality, such as Erasmus+, business workshops or school mentoring programs. A value shared by both nations is the belief that women can be the driving force of the local economy, although their path to success is still more demanding than that of men. Cultural differences are mainly manifested in the approach to tradition – in Greece, the model of a woman as the pillar of the family and enterprise is more accepted, while in Poland, individual independence and personal development are more strongly emphasised.