08.03.2019 İstanbul
Attending the Turkey Women Entrepreneurs Meeting, organized by the Ministry of Trade and hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and TESK, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, stated that no goal can be achieved without women, “10 years ago the number of women entrepreneurs was only 75,000; now it is 130,000. Our Women Entrepreneur Councils have a big share in this increase.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
stating that women are the first teachers of all humanity, said, “Be sure your
children receive their education, especially your daughters. Explain to them that
neither reason, success nor economy have gender. Encourage them to become
entrepreneurs. I stress again: Reason has no gender. Success has no gender. The
economy has no gender. If we want to prosper, if we aim to put Turkey among the
world's top 10 economies, we need women. If we increase the labor force
participation of our women to the level of men, our economy will grow 20% more.
In other words, our national income will increase by 170 billion USD and exceeding
1 trillion USD.”
- Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed
gratitude
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu, speaking at the Turkey Women Entrepreneurs Meeting held
at the İstanbul Lütfi Kırdar Hall with the attendances of President Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan, Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan and TESK
President Bendevi Palandöken, emphasized the importance of women entrepreneurs for
the economy. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are very aware of the sensitivities of
our President and Mrs. Emine Erdoğan. Mrs. Erdoğan inspires us when she says ‘policy,
economy, bureaucracy bereft of women is incomplete.’ I would like to thank them
for this beautiful vision. We also have a woman Minister at the head of the commerce.
Our Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan is also a successful entrepreneur and
respected businesswoman. We are very proud of our Minister.
- Turkey's largest network of women
entrepreneurs
Stating
that they could not achieve any of their goals without women, Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that they have established the Women Entrepreneurs Council in 2007 with
this vision. “The seeds we’ve sown together have borne fruit,” the TOBB President
said and reported that, with nearly 7,000 members in 81 provinces, it is Turkey's
largest women entrepreneurs network. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Minister Pekcan
has contributed greatly to this success and added, “We’ve realized many
projects of the Council together with her. We’ve worked hard for 12 years with
our Minister. 10 years ago, the number of women entrepreneurs was only 75,000;
now it stands at 130,000. Our Women Entrepreneur Council has contributed
greatly to this increase. There are hundreds of activities every year. They
produce projects with world giants. Allah bless them all. They have now
completed democratic elections in 81 provinces. I congratulate all women
entrepreneurs elected heartily and wish them success. Working with you, we will
write new success stories with a new excitement.”
- Women write the future
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu sharing their findings from the TOBB ETU’s graduation
ceremony, Turkey's first entrepreneurial university, said that the valedictorians
of almost all departments are girls.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that if women were supported, they would do the rest. “That’s what we
are aiming for as TOBB. We started working with the world's leading technology
companies. Together with Turkcell, we kicked off the award winning Women Write
the Future project. In 18 provinces, we have trained 1,800 women on coding and
business plan preparation. We taught 5,000 women entrepreneurs, how they can
use Facebook and Instagram to trade. We also carry out the Digital Workshop
Project with Google. We provide digitalization training for our entrepreneurs
and youth. The aim is to teach our SMEs what they need to do to effectively
exist in the digital world. We will continue to produce projects in all these fields.
With the support of Mrs. Erdoğan, in 2019, we will achieve much greater successes.
Because the economy needs a woman's touch. Studies already conducted show that
women's businesses are more successful. Women have different perspectives. They
work meticulously. Their instincts are strong. Their leadership skills are
outstanding. They bring quality to the economy, add meaning, and bring
enthusiasm, excitement, refinement and grace. If we want to prosper; if we aim
to put Turkey among the world's top 10 economies, we need women. If we increase
the labor force participation of our women to the level of men, our economy
will grow 20%. In other words, our national income will increase by 170 billion
USD and exceed 1 trillion USD.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that he had the opportunity to meet with a female entrepreneur who is
marketing women's labor to the world in a village in Anatolia, who said, “’My
President, we are ready to do more. But the biggest obstacle ahead is the husbands
of the women who work in the workshop!’ In other words, women, in addition to
all the problems in business life, have to fight us, men. But there is a way to
overcome it: to unite. To stand as one. Protect each other. It is primarily in
your hands to break down prejudices towards women.”
- Emine Erdoğan, the wife of
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan stated in her speech that the world
needs more women's power than ever before and said, “The environmental problems
facing the world, the crisis of human and moral values, the issues which women
can always provide solutions for. The world is waiting to be redesigned with the
female spirit.”
Emine
Erdoğan expressed her pleasure in standing with entrepreneurial women on March 8th
International Women's Day, as a manifesto of women's power.
Stating
that their dreams of increasing the number of women in business life has borne
bounteous fruit, Erdoğan said that they can now enjoy this harvest together.
“Not
a day goes by that we don't see a new woman turning a great idea into a
business,” said Erdoğan and emphasized that women now find this confidence in
themselves easily.
Erdoğan
stated that the government also provides great support in this, “The government
provides assistance in overcoming the obstacles to building a business. Women
receive micro-credits to encourage entrepreneurship as affirmative action. The
support credit signed today by Turk Eximbank shows that women’s exporting
entrepreneurship has crossed borders and it is very gratifying.”
- Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan
In
her speech, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said, “We need to provide our women
and women entrepreneurs with financing support to make them exporters. In order
to accomplish this, Eximbank, along with QNB Finansbank, are announcing a new
financing package for our women entrepreneurs and exporters. This credit which
will be issued to companies employing 51% women towards their export endeavors
amounting to a total of 200 million USD with an additional 100 million TRY.”
Pekcan
provided the following information about the new package: “To come to the major
good news of the day: Support is necessary in order to enable our women and
women entrepreneurs to become exporters. In order to accomplish this, Eximbank,
along with QNB Finansbank, are announcing a new financing package for our women
entrepreneurs and exporters. In the presence of Mrs. Erdoğan, the directors of
the banks will be putting their signatures to paper today. This credit which
will be issued to companies employing 51% women towards their export endeavors
amounting to a total of 200 million USD with an additional 100 million TRY. A
strong women’s presence in the economy is surety of social prosperity.”
The
signatures which will launch the support package were signed by QND Finansbank
Corporate and Commercial Banking Vice General Manager Ömür Tan and Türk
Eximbank General Manager Adnan Yıldırım.