Access to finance for women-led companies in Romania will be assessed through a national barometer launched by the National Confederation for Women Entrepreneurship (CONAF), with the data to be used in dealings with banks, financiers, and European financial institutions, according to a statement from the organization.

'Capital has no gender. Access to it, however, has a history worth measuring. Madrid offered us a contrast that is hard to ignore. In 2025, the European Investment Bank Group supported female entrepreneurship in Spain with €620 million—the highest volume in the European Union. Six Spanish banks are participating in the Gender Finance Lab. More important than rhetoric about equality, therefore, is the fact that a financial infrastructure exists,' stated Cristina Chiriac, founding president of CONAF, at the third international edition of the 'Women in Economy - Spanish Edition' Gala.

She highlighted the need to assess women entrepreneurs' actual access to capital in Romania.

'Romania has programs, initiatives, conferences, and plenty of statements of support. What we still lack is the answer to a fundamental question: how much capital do female entrepreneurs in Romania need, how much do they request, and how much actually reaches their companies? We are not starting from the presumption of discrimination, nor are we looking for statistics to confirm a convenient conclusion. We will measure: how much capital is needed, how much is requested, how much is approved, and how much actually reaches the company—as well as where the process breaks down and why,' explained Chiriac.

According to her, the analysis will also cover situations where a lack of funding leads to the reduction or postponement of investments.

'We will also try to look at what banking statistics struggle to capture: the female entrepreneur who needs financing but no longer applies for it, the investment that is scaled back due to a lack of capital, or the expansion postponed for another year. The gap between the capital needed and the capital obtained is not just an issue for the female entrepreneur; it represents investment that fails to materialize, productivity that does not rise, jobs that are not created, and revenue that does not enter the economy,' stated the founding president of CONAF.

The data collected through the barometer is to be presented to European banks and financial institutions in order to identify any necessary financing instruments.

'The barometer will serve as the starting point, not the final result. The data must then be presented to European banks and financial institutions. If a gap is revealed, the next question will not be 'who is to blame,' but rather 'what financial instrument is missing.' This is where 'Women in Economy - Capital Bridge' can begin: a mechanism through which CONAF contributes companies and real-economy data, banks provide financing capacity, and European institutions offer the expertise and tools needed to align the supply of and demand for capital,' stated Cristina Chiriac.

It showed that the results of the initiative should be evaluated based on the funding that actually reaches the companies.

'I do not want us to measure success by the number of women we tell they can succeed. I prefer a somewhat more challenging metric: the amount of capital we have managed to put to work in companies with growth potential. Spain's example demonstrates that equal opportunity can also be supported through financial infrastructure. Romania must first determine the cost of not yet knowing where capital ends up; for while equality is a value, capital that fails to reach a viable business represents an economic problem,' stated the CONAF representative.

For her part, European Investment Bank representative Monica Faro Echaniz highlighted the role of information and financial instruments in business development.

'Access to finance can transform entrepreneurial potential into investment and growth, and European experience demonstrates the importance of data, appropriate financial instruments, and collaboration with institutions that understand the realities faced by companies,' said Monica Faro Echaniz, Communications Manager at the European Investment Bank.

The event also addressed prospects for developing economic relations between Romania and Spain, including the role of the Romanian community in strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

'Economic and human ties reinforce one another. Investments create jobs, unite communities, and foster trust. Trust, in turn, generates new opportunities for collaboration and development—as seen with the Romanian community, which already stands out as the second-largest community of foreign entrepreneurs in Spain. At the same time, Romanian investments in Spain are entering a new phase of maturity,' stated Raluca Maria Mihaila, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of the Romanian Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain.

The third international edition of the 'Women in Economy - Spanish Edition' gala took place on Tuesday, September 29, at the Real Casino de Madrid; it was organized by CONAF and the Embassy of Romania in the Kingdom of Spain, in partnership with the National Heritage Institute.

The event brought together representatives of the diplomatic and institutional spheres, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and members of the Romanian community in Spain, marking 145 years of diplomatic relations between the two states.

During the gala, ten trophies were awarded to women from various fields of activity, and the fifth issue of *Women in Economy* magazine was launched, featuring a special report on economic relations between Romania and Spain. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: George Banciulea;EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)

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