TEHRAN – Iranian businesswoman Soheila Pirmoradian is amongst selectees who will be honored with European Business Competence* License) EBC*L Women Entrepreneur Awards, during a ceremony scheduled to be held in Paris on November 3.

Pirmoradian, who holds a nurse midwifery degree from an Italian university, has served as a tour guild for Italian travelers for about 15 years. She is currently manager of a thriving travel agency in her homeland, Iranian Students News Agency reported on Saturday.

The EBC*L website says there will be some Iranian entrepreneurs who will be awarded the prize but has not revealed their names yet.

The website describes them as: “Talented and ambitious Iranian women have proved competent in various social, economic, and political areas.  They have made inroads in business field and many are entrepreneurs today, providing employment to men, further enjoining their equal halves to be involved in the national development process.”

“Following the removal of anti-Iran sanctions, the EBC*L management has decided to present the prestigious prize to several female Iranian entrepreneurs,” IRNA quoted Azim Fazlipour, the EBC*L CEO for Persian language countries as saying in a press conference earlier in August.

The EBC*L considers several indicators for presenting prizes to different companies including entrepreneurship, innovation, branding, development of domestic industries, development of crafts, customer satisfaction, compliance with environmental and human values and social responsibility. 

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, the rate of entrepreneurship in Iran among women between the ages 18 to 64 fluctuated from 4 to 6 percent between 2008 and 2012.

Based on the Fifth Socio-Economic Development Plan of Iran (2010-2015), the rate of female entrepreneurs has increased from 7.1 percent in 2010 to 8.4 percent in 2015.

The EBC*L jurors believe that Iran’s talent for workarounds has drastically shaped its new business culture and years of economic isolation created both duress—and opportunity.

They assess that the result of these changes has culminated in a wave of business activity and optimism, while also consider Iran an exciting environment for foreign investors, especially in the financial, energy and transportation industries.

European Business Competence* License is established internationally as standard of education in business administration.

It offers, with its three levels A, B and C, the possibility to prove exactly practice-relevant economical core knowledge which is necessary in economic life.  At the moment the EBC*L examination is done in 31 countries and in 24 languages.

An undated picture above provided by viaggioiniran.com shows Iranian entrepreneur Soheila Pirmoradian (C) surrounded by local schoolgirls pose for a photo. The colorful Noruz spread in the foreground indicates they are celebrating Iranian new year.

AFM/MG