A workshop within the scope of ‘Women Business Network (W-BUN)’ Project which has been set out with the aim of enhancing women’s capacity by taking part in an effective communication network in order to reach the necessary information and job markets in the business world realized in Bursa on October 22 - 23.

Following the consultation meetings held in 8 provinces and 2 Search Conferences within the scope of the Women Business Network project was completed. Discussions about having more women entrepreneurs on public tenders which is the most important goals of the Project took place and also expert opinions were received. Considering the outputs of the meetings held in Bursa, a “local modeling” was created with women entrepreneurs to ensure that women entrepreneurs take part in more public tenders. The local modeling created has been aimed to be shared, implemented and disseminated with women entrepreneur associations.

The meetings held within the framework of issues such as empowerment of women in the business world, commercial law, public procurement law, gender equality, employment and labor market make up for an important resource to develop the potential of women entrepreneurs.

In the digital meeting, the opening speeches were made by KAGIDER President Emine Erdem, BUIKAD President Oya Eroğlu and KAISDER President Göknur Atalay.

Emine Erdem, KAGIDER President: “We all work with the aim of empowering women in entrepreneurship and social life and ensuring gender equality in our country, region and province. If women can participate in the economy as much as men, the richness of Turkey will increase by 30%. Without women's energy, dynamism and entrepreneurial experience in our country, Turkey can not achieve its development goals. In addition to the obstacles such as cultural codes, access to finance, access to education, lack of network and role models for women entrepreneurs, access to the market are also important issues that we need to find solutions together. Public is the largest market in the world that has most products and services. However, there is only 1 percent of public trend contracts are signed with women entrepreneurs. Our aim is to create awareness with this project and to ensure that women also play an active role in public tenders.”

BUIKAD President Oya Eroğlu: Within the scope of the Women Business Network project, our aim is to ensure that women take a more active role in the labor market and to empower women entrepreneurs. In addition, we aim to make the necessary legal regulations and raise awareness on this issue in order to invite more women entrepreneurs to the tenders. We are also happy and proud to be one of the stakeholder associations of this project.

KAISDER President Göknur Atalay: We are one of the two stakeholders of KAGIDER. In this project, which we give all of our support and we aim to make women to have a more active role in business life, create ties between our women entrepreneurs, create female suppliers in public and municipal tenders and make the necessary legal regulations as their provider. We also think that this project will be a hope project for the women in business life.

A law proposal will be submitted to make more women entrepreneurs in public tenders.

Women's Business Network aims to provide services and consultancy to participating non-governmental organizations and women, to contribute to the global goal of Partnerships and Networks Grant Scheme, to develop civil society through participation in policy processes more actively within the scope of the Women Business Network project. There is a work on law proposal to participate many small and medium-sized women entrepreneurs in public tenders. Submitting a proposal for a law that will be negotiated with the public sector with the project will support participated NGOs and women in developing their capacities at national and international scale.