In joint-coordination with Garanti Bank, Economist Magazine and Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey (KAGIDER), Turkey’s Women Entrepreneurs Contest prizes were awarded to the selected winners during a wonderful ceremony on Wednesday, the 6^th of June.

Garanti Bank’s Assistant General Manager Nafiz Karadere spoke at the award ceremony, expressing that due to the effects of the traditional patriarchal structure of the country that the employment rate of men in the business world remains higher than that of women’s. Karadere said that the number of women entrepreneurs in Turkey fails to meet the standards of more developed countries, and he announced that they are adopting affirmative action initiatives in support of women’s enterprises in order to make use of and benefit from this underdeveloped workforce.

KAGIDER’s Chairman of the Board Gülden Türktan declared that being a woman entrepreneur in Turkey requires a move away from the patriarchal structure of the country. She stated that “being a woman entrepreneur in Turkey means succeeding despite having a family and spouse, and going outside the public norms to change the system. The changing force in the competition is very important.” Türktan found the stories of the women entrepreneurship contestants very exciting. 

The Publishing Director of the Capitalist and Economist magazines, Rauf Ateş, explained that the contest began with the participation of only a few women. Ateş added, “Now we have reached numbers in the six-thousands. But apart from these increasing numbers, we must call attention to another important development. Nowadays, women are starting-up companies in industries that were once considered only ‘men’s work’. Women participating in the contest also have larger endorsements than in the past.”

Yasemin Kayla, producer of the Mardin stones, won the ‘Woman Entrepreneur Who Created Difference In Her Region’ award, Gülay Özgön who is the owner of a company that provides genetic laboratory services won the ‘Promising Woman Entrepreneur’ award, and Nurcan Özdemir who is the owner of Epsa Yalıtım Ambalaj Yapı Kimyasalları (Epsa Insulation Packaging Chemicals) won the ‘Turkey’s Woman Entrepreneur’ award.