28.05.2024
The second Eastern Anatolia Region meeting of the TOBB Provincial Women Entrepreneurs Council was organized by the TOBB Hakkâri Women Entrepreneurs Council and hosted by the Hakkâri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In the meeting attended
by TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council Vice Presidents Hatice Güner Kal, Fatma
Aydoğdu and Serap Kocaoğlu, as responsible project leaders, information was
shared on behalf of the Council and about the projects followed locally.
In the opening speech
of the meeting, TOBB Hakkâri Women Entrepreneurs Council President and Eastern
Anatolia Regional Representative Sevda Keskin said, “I would like to express my
gratitude to our esteemed TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, who
established the Councils under TOBB’s umbrella in 2007 and who is instrumental
in bringing us together here today and establishing strong ties with our
sisters in 81 provinces, TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council is the most
comprehensive women entrepreneur organization in our country with more than
7,000 members. The TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council, which ensures and supports
women to be strong in terms of quality and quantity with its vision and
mission, is moving forward with the work done by women who are pioneers with
the principle of volunteerism in 81 provinces.”
Stating that there has
been a significant increase in the number of women entrepreneurs in Hakkâri,
Keskin said, “In the first period we took office, we provided 400 women with
KOSGEB-supported entrepreneurship training. We provided consultancy support for
women to open their own workplaces. We participated in social support programs
and gave courses to many women in different fields. We established the only
women's cooperative in our region in 2015 under the leadership of our Women
Entrepreneurs Council. We started cooperatives with 16 women in Kırıkdağ
village of our provincial center. With our Hakkâri Essence of Flowers Women's
Production and Business Cooperative, we produce natural local products with
traditional methods with the labor of 50 women in our supplier range.”
In her speech, Servet
Taş, President of Hakkâri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that
entrepreneurship is one of the most effective areas where women can reflect
their knowledge, skills and experience and that it is important to support it.
Taş said, “The presence
of women in business life is the most important indicator of development.
Women's participation in the labor force is one of the most important elements
of sustainable development. As in every field, a cultural and mental change
must begin at this point. Where there are no women, there is no production, no
development, no prosperity. As the Presidents of TOBB Provincial Women
Entrepreneurs Council, we have faith that you will bring us new horizons with
the activities organized in our Chambers and Exchanges and that you will always
be a role model for our people.”
Nuran Özyılmaz, owner
of Kars Goose House Restaurant, participated in the program as a role model
woman entrepreneur and shared her success story.
Prior to the regional
meeting, TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council Vice Presidents Hatice Güner Kal,
Fatma Aydoğdu, Serap Kocaoğlu, Eastern Anatolia Regional Representative Sevda
Keskin, provincial presidents Edibe Yıldırım Demircan (Ağrı), Bermal Akbay
(Bitlis), Duygu Kılıçtek (Iğdır), Müge Kaya (Kars), Semra Odabaşı (Van)
together with Council members visited Hakkari Governor Ali Çelik in his office
and gave information about the work of the Council.