'Future Women Leaders' Program Graduates New Class

The 'Future Women Leaders' project, now in its 12th year and aimed at supporting women's employment, graduated its latest cohort of participants. The 'Future Women Leaders' project, implemented through a partnership between the Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGİDER) and Sanofi Turkey, held its 2022 gathering digitally from 4 to 7 October. Following the four-day training programme, which received 2,000 applications this year, 300 successful young women from across Turkey completed their training, bringing the total number of 'Future Women Leaders' graduates to 1,500.The four-day training covered fundamental knowledge and skills for working life, career development and management perspectives, and job entry skills. In addition to training useful for young women entering the workforce—such as Interview Simulations, Technology, Project Management, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability—they also received training in Storytelling, Gender Equality and Relationship Design to guide their professional careers. In the 2022 training programme, 300 young women selected from across Turkey—recent university graduates or final-year university students who are high-achieving and from underrepresented backgrounds—participated and completed the programme.

KAGİDER Chairwoman Emine Erdem made the following comments on the matter:

"At KAGİDER, which I chair, hundreds of women entrepreneurs have worked united for the past 20 years with the mission to promote women entrepreneurship and increase women's participation in the economy. We know that the socioeconomic empowerment of women and greater participation of women in decision-making mechanisms are necessary. An increase in strong women in society and the economy is only possible through encouraging and empowering women. Women's participation in the economy plays an indispensable role in sustaining economic development for both our country and our world. We launched the Future Women Leaders programme 12 years ago to prepare young women with the knowledge and skills they would need for any situation they might encounter in professional life, enabling them to make a strong start in their careers. Today, looking back, we are pleased to see that hundreds of young women who graduated from the programme have gone on to successful careers. Another source of joy for us is seeing that among all the young women who have graduated from the Future Women Leaders programme since its inception, there is a strong network of solidarity and a strong sisterhood bond, just as there is at KAGİDER. I see a meaningful programme like the Future Women Leaders continuing for 12 years as a cooperation model that can be taken as an example by the private sector. On behalf of KAGİDER, I would like to thank Sanofi Turkey for their partnership and all the educators who have contributed to this programme."

Pınar Kaya, Director of Corporate Communications for Sanofi Turkey and Levant, emphasised that the project continues to grow stronger with each passing year, continuing as follows:

"For Sanofi Turkey, the concept of sustainability is at the core of all our business processes and corporate social responsibility projects. Supporting women's participation in the economy through Corporate Social Responsibility programmes, raising awareness through volunteering programmes and implementing sustainable objectives regarding equal opportunity and diversity—creating public awareness on these matters is very important for Sanofi. The Future Women Leaders project, in line with this vision, is a programme we have successfully implemented with KAGİDER for the past 12 years and one that continues to develop. When we set out on this journey, our goal was clear: to enable high-potential young women to make a better-equipped start to their professional lives. Because we know that the more we increase practices supporting women's workforce, the more sustainable a foundation our country's development will rest upon. We are very pleased to see that 92 per cent of the girls who completed training in this project we are committed to are continuing their careers successfully. Furthermore, these successful women are mentoring Future Women Leaders graduates who are embarking on their professional careers. Therefore, it is a source of great joy and pride to know that we have created a sisterhood network that provides far more than training—a bond through which we support each other for life."