KAGİDER’s new Board, selected for the 2023-2025 term at the General Assembly held in June, gathered for a press meeting on September 12th, marking the 21st anniversary of KAGİDER’s establishment. The meeting was attended by KAGİDER President Esra Bezircioğlu, Vice Presidents Şila Gök and Güzin İlker, as well as all KAGİDER Board Members.

In her speech, President Esra Bezircioğlu shared insights on the status of women entrepreneurs and women in the workforce in Turkey. She stated:

"The labor force participation rate of women in Turkey remains far below the OECD average. The report we prepared in collaboration with Sabancı University titled 'Women's Labor Force Participation in Turkey: General Trends, Regional and Demographic Disparities, Attitudes' contains striking data about the current situation of women's labor force participation in Turkey, regional economic, social, and demographic disparities, and their transformation over time. The report is based on 2021 data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) Household Labor Force Surveys."

According to the report, the overall labor force participation rate in Turkey for individuals aged 15 and above is 51.4%. The rate for men is 70.3%, while for women, it is only 32.8%. Over the last decade, the qualifications and skill requirements for the jobs in which women are employed have changed. Employment in high-skilled jobs has decreased, while employment in low-skilled jobs has increased. Between 2004 and 2021, female employment in unskilled jobs rose by 3%, while female employment in qualified positions decreased from 21% to 11%.

The proportion of women in managerial positions was 7% in 2004, rising to 20% in 2021. However, the OECD average in 2021 is 33.7%, which is still much higher than the rate in Turkey. This shows that there is still a long way to go for women in our country.

As KAGİDER, we will continue our efforts to support the representation of women in all fields of life, as we did for the last 21 years. We will also continue to reach women entrepreneurs through our training and mentoring programs.”

Esra Bezircioğlu also provided an update on KAGİDER’s projects in the earthquake-affected regions. She explained:

"From the very beginning of the earthquake, KAGİDER mobilized to meet immediate needs with the help of our members. At the same time, we began working on producing permanent solutions. In the coming weeks, we will open a co-working space in Hatay EXPO, created through our partnership with a consortium. We are also planning similar projects in the cities of Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, and Malatya.

Moreover, as KAGİDER, we will establish a 'Training and Poduction Center' in Hatay, where the women will be trained and begin production based on their knowledge and skills.

Our dream is to see a Turkey where women and men are equally represented in all aspects of life, where they have equal opportunities, and where women are equally present in parliament, boards of directors, local governments, leadership positions in the business world, and the entrepreneurship ecosystem. KAGİDER will continue working towards achieving this dream."