The difficulties generated by the health emergency affected mostly the female business world, which is more sensitive to the economic cycle than the male one: 21% of female businesses believe they are more exposed to the negative trend of the economy compared to 18% of male businesses. After the stagnation at the beginning of 2020, the number of employees also registered a sharp drop, which mainly affected the female component. The main causes are a greater vulnerability of women in the labour market, more employment in the sectors most affected by the pandemic and, finally, a greater burden in family management.

Considering this context, UniCredit is providing concrete support for:

• women entrepreneurs who want to start a new business or who want to develop it. The offer includes inclusive and discounted financing, such as microcredit up to €50,000, the support of a network of social partners and access to digital tools useful for business start-ups and financial planning. They are also provided with support from UniGens, the association of employees and former UniCredit employees, to give solidity to the growth of their business.

• Profit and non-profit companies that provide welfare, health and educational services, able to generate a concrete and measurable social impact. This also includes projects and corporate initiatives that promote welfare services for their employees and their families. The offer includes social impact loans for over €50.000 at favourable conditions. Following the achievement of the social objectives the proposal also includes a donation up to €20.000, a training programme, the sharing of a network aimed at spreading experiences and external visibility.