The guest speaker at this month's Traditional Breakfast Meeting of KAGİDER (Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey) was Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

The September meeting, attended by approximately 200 KAGİDER members, also welcomed prominent figures such as Sunay Karamık, founding member of KAGİDER and MP from the AK Party; Ülkü Sakalar, İBB Assembly Group Deputy Chair; Enif Yavuz Dipşar, İBB Social Services Department Head; and Banu Saraçlar, General Manager of İBB Istanbul Management Inc.

Bezircioğlu: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs is Key

KAGİDER President Esra Bezircioğlu highlighted the importance of empowering women entrepreneurs during her opening remarks, emphasizing İBB’s efforts to increase women’s participation in the workforce.

Bezircioğlu stated:
“IBB's initiatives, especially in future-oriented sectors like technology, digital services, and the green economy, not only increase women’s workforce participation but also promote their impactful roles in creative industries.”

She underlined the critical role of local governance in fostering gender equality and the need for targeted policies:

“Encouraging women entrepreneurs in procurement and tender processes and ensuring equal opportunities can strengthen women's presence both in the business world and public life. Support and incentives provided by municipalities are vital for enabling women entrepreneurs to take an active role in professional life.”

İmamoğlu: Full Support for Women Entrepreneurs

Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu discussed İBB’s projects to boost women’s workforce participation and create employment opportunities. Emphasizing the importance of gender equality, İmamoğlu noted:

“I strive to ensure women’s representation in every decision-making body within İBB. In Istanbul, where women form the majority of the population, the projects we implement for women hold great significance.”

İmamoğlu expressed İBB’s commitment to working closely with KAGİDER on future initiatives. He shared insights into projects that enhance women’s quality of life, including the expansion of daycare centers:

“We currently serve nearly 10,000 children across 103 daycare centers, with over 50 more nearing completion. Our goal is to increase this number to 500. These centers, along with our employment offices, provide services across Istanbul.”

İmamoğlu also highlighted İBB's entrepreneurial support through İSMEK and Regional Employment Offices, adding:

“We’ve supported 415 initiatives, resulting in investments exceeding $23 million. Our goal is to position Istanbul as a hub for entrepreneurship and high-tech startups, reversing the trend of talent and investor migration abroad.”

At the meeting, Mayor İmamoğlu answered questions from KAGİDER members and was presented with a special marble dust sculpture created by artist Malik Bulut as a token of appreciation from KAGİDER President Esra Bezircioğlu.