Export Momentum Set to Strengthen

Sixty-seven female entrepreneurs have successfully completed the "Women Power in Exports: Export Training Program for Female Entrepreneurs," carried out in collaboration with the Aegean Exporters Unions and the TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Board operating within the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, aimed at increasing women's representation in exports.

Speaking at the certificate ceremony, Işınsu Kestelli, Member of the Board of Management of the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges and President of İzmir Chamber of Commerce, stated that the most important path to economic development lies in strengthening women's participation in business life.

Kestelli: "We must fully integrate women into society"
Saying "We must integrate women into the world of entrepreneurship, politics, management positions, in short, fully into society, to the degree they deserve," Kestelli noted, "OECD and World Bank reports show that a 10 percent increase in women's employment rate can lead to a 2-4 percent increase in gross domestic product. Women's employment is critical not only for economic development but also for increased prosperity and social justice."

Drawing attention to the fact that women's labour force participation rate in Turkey was 36.8 percent in 2024, while men's labour force participation rate in the same year was 72 percent, Kestelli continued as follows: "In other words, based on last year's data, only one woman can work for every two men employed in our country. Additionally, there is injustice in wages between women and men doing the same work. The difference reaches 20 percent. As a country, we are not oil-rich. Natural gas does not gush from everywhere. But if we could only integrate women into business life at the same rate as men, we could rise many steps higher among world economies. Turkey ranks last among OECD countries both in general employment and in women's employment."

Women are not adequately represented as entrepreneurs
Expressing that they observe women not showing sufficient presence only as workers but also in company boards and as entrepreneurs, İTB President Işınsu Kestelli concluded her remarks as follows: "In the 2000s, the proportion of female entrepreneurs in Turkey was 4 percent. In 2024, this rate is seen as 18 percent. Our goal should be for this rate to reach 34 percent globally, or even 50 percent for full equality. It is necessary to develop female entrepreneurial potential and make it more equipped. Female entrepreneurs are indispensable actors in economic growth, social development, and sustainable development.

Particularly increasing the export capacity of our female entrepreneurs will make important contributions to both their and the country's prosperity and to the development of the region they are in. It will increase the country's economy's openness to exports, its competitive power, and its high-value production capacity. In this sense, the path and projects undertaken by our TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board with the Aegean Exporters Unions are very valuable. I believe that the trainings organized within the scope of the "Women Power in Exports: Export Training Program for Female Entrepreneurs" will make important contributions to increasing our female entrepreneurs' export capacities."

Eskinazi: "We have enhanced our women's qualifications"
Emphasizing that the "Women Power in Exports: Export Training Program for Female Entrepreneurs" has been designed in a multifaceted manner to enhance female entrepreneurs' foreign trade knowledge, digital competence, marketing strategy, and international competitive power, Aegean Exporters Unions Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi stated that during the program, over 3 months and in 8 lessons, Introduction to Exports and Legislation Training, Target Market Analysis and Market Entry Strategies, Digital Transformation and E-Export Models, Branding, Registration Procedures, Eximbank Support, Green Deal Compliance Process and Sustainable Production, and Government Support and Incentives for Female Entrepreneurs were shared with female entrepreneurs.

Saying "The trainings were not only theoretical but also supported with practical examples," Eskinazi stated, "Participants were encouraged to work on their own business models. The risks, opportunities, and solutions they may encounter in foreign trade journeys were addressed in detail. All our participants who successfully completed this process are entrepreneurs with high capability to access global markets. As Aegean Exporters Unions, we consider it our duty to take women's labour to the outside world. Therefore, in the coming period, we will continue with determination to support our female entrepreneurs, expand these types of programs that prepare for exports, and develop new projects in strategic areas such as digitalization and green transformation. Turkey will be able to reach its export targets through women-men cooperation," he said.

Uçak: "Women's representation in exports is increasing day by day"
Speaking at the certificate ceremony of the "Women Power in Exports: Export Training Program for Female Entrepreneurs," Hayrettin Uçak, Deputy Coordinator President of Aegean Exporters Unions and President of Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union, emphasized that the number of female members in exporter unions is increasing every day, and women's representation in the Aegean Exporters Unions Young Exporters Council, which will be very influential in the future of the Aegean Region's exports, is at the 50 percent level.

Sharing the information that the Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters Union has over 1,500 members, Uçak said, "Among these members, approximately 35 percent have women in company boards and senior management positions. This figure was below 100 ten years ago. According to TUIK statistics, we see that 68 percent of women with higher education participate in the labour force. The fact that more than half of the 82 university students participating in our "Third Generation Agricultural Entrepreneurship Program" directed at young people consist of women also supports TUIK's figures.

As a result of these trainings, increasing women's employment share among our members will be the greatest fruit of this program. Everything touched by a woman's hand becomes more beautiful. In recent years, we observe that the number of women in companies has increased at the events we attend. Seeing women's labour both at the forefront of our stands and in business meetings makes us particularly happy. When our women touch every aspect of life, they show their difference. We see that our women create and continue to create difference and added value in our exports in terms of productivity, sustainability, and digitalization," he said.

Celep: "We will take women's horizon in exports further"
Expressing that they have made great strides with the "Women Power in Exports: Export Training Program for Female Entrepreneurs" program in helping young and female entrepreneurs develop their business networks and raising awareness about the potential and resources they possess, Celep stated, "With the program aimed at overcoming obstacles faced by female entrepreneurs in exports, we aimed to develop solutions especially to problems in access to finance, lack of market knowledge, and forming international networks. Through the trainings, participants will overcome all difficulties they will encounter in exports.

Emphasizing that they will continue to support female entrepreneurship, Celep said that as the TOBB İzmir Women Entrepreneurs Board, we will continue our efforts to support female entrepreneurship and ensure that women play a stronger role in economic life, and we will take women's horizon in exports further. We will further strengthen our country's export potential," he said.