TURKEY'S WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS GATHER FOR A CONSULTATION MEETING TURKEY'S WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS GATHER FOR A CONSULTATION MEETING, A JOINT DECLARATION WILL BE PREPARED.

"Development of policies and strategies is essential to support women entrepreneurs"

Representatives of Turkey's women entrepreneurship ecosystem gathered in Antalya to discuss the support of women entrepreneurship with policies and legislation. At the "Consultation Meeting of Women Entrepreneur Associations" organized in collaboration with KAGİDER and UN Women Turkey, joint demands, experiences, and solution proposals were discussed. Following the meeting, a "Declaration of Turkey's Women Entrepreneur Associations" will be prepared.

At the "Consultation Meeting of Women Entrepreneur Associations" organized by the Turkey Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGİDER) and UN Women Turkey, women entrepreneur associations in Turkey came together. The meeting, which took place on April 18-19 at the Akra Hotel in Antalya with the participation of representatives from the business world and civil society organizations, as well as executives and members of KAGİDER and UN Women Turkey, focused on addressing the challenges and solutions for women entrepreneurs.

Participants exchanged ideas on how policies and strategies supporting women entrepreneurship can be developed and worked on concrete solution proposals.

ESRA BEZİRCİOĞLU: WE ARE AT AN IMPORTANT TURNING POINT FOR THE FUTURE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Esra Bezircioğlu, President of the KAGİDER Board of Directors, made the opening speech of the meeting, emphasizing the importance of women entrepreneurship for economic development and gender equality, stating, "There is a need for strong policies and support mechanisms to fully unleash the potential of women entrepreneurs. This meeting offers an opportunity to determine the steps to be taken in the field of entrepreneurship and to act together. The decisions we make will be an important turning point for the future of women entrepreneurs." Reminding how important it is to invest in women, Bezircioğlu added, "Today, we are taking an important step towards empowering and supporting women entrepreneurs in Turkey. I believe that the decisions and efforts we make here will make a significant contribution to the empowerment of women entrepreneurs in Turkey and to our country's economic development. Together, we will continue our efforts for the economic empowerment of women and the achievement of gender equality."

DUYGU ARIĞ: WOMEN'S LABOR IS ESSENTIAL FOR ENSURING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

Duygu Arığ, Program Manager of UN Women Turkey, stated, "Meaningful participation of women in the market, support for women entrepreneurship, and representation in the supply chains of large companies are some of the key steps to empower women economically. These key steps can be advanced through gender-sensitive procurement. Women entrepreneurship is critical for economic growth and social development. While women entrepreneurs provide economic vitality with their innovative ideas and business skills, they also contribute to the empowerment of gender equality. Gender-sensitive procurement can be defined as supporting women entrepreneurs and preferring products and services based on the principles of gender equality. In this way, an important step can be taken towards ensuring gender equality by supporting women entrepreneurship. Economic development can be achieved more inclusively with the participation of women, with quality and standards raised through equality and sustainable growth."

"A DECLARATION OF TURKEY'S WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR ASSOCIATIONS" WILL BE PREPARED

Throughout the meeting, participants discussed the obstacles faced by women entrepreneurs, their financing needs, and educational requirements. Issues such as market access, gender-sensitive procurement, procurement from women suppliers in the private sector, public, and municipal initiatives, problems, solution proposals, and objectives were discussed, reaching consensus on public initiatives, mixed financing models, etc.

In the meeting, where three main topics were worked on for supporting women entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurship with policies and legislation in Turkey, a "Declaration of Turkey's Women Entrepreneur Associations" will be prepared to be presented to decision-makers. It is aimed to convey this declaration to relevant institutions and organizations to take concrete steps in supporting women entrepreneurs.