Balance of power shifting in business life

After decades of struggle both globally and in Turkey, women today have become truly visible in working life. While women fighting to overcome barriers known as the 'glass ceiling' continue their career advancement, the balance in the workplace is shifting as well. Worldwide and in Turkey, women have been fighting for years against numerous factors that hinder their progress in the workplace—the so-called 'glass ceiling.' In our country, women in working life face serious discrimination compared to the male workforce, including lower wage levels, inequality in recruitment, placement and advancement processes, mobbing, and lack of access to training opportunities. However, in recent times, the balance in the workplace is changing and cards are being reshuffled in terms of gender. Women's labour force participation rate in Turkey has risen to 36 percent. Women in working life are no longer merely visible; they are also climbing the leadership ladder with more determined steps. The number of women in management positions is growing every day.

Women's presence in business is a sustainability and success criterion

"Everyone is now aware of the contributions that empowering women to participate in every stage of working life brings to the country's economy and company performance," said Selçuk Aytekin, General Manager of Teedo Online Training Platform. In a statement on the occasion of International Women's Day on 8 March, Aytekin emphasized that women's participation in both the workforce and economic decision-making bodies in sectors such as industry and technology has become a sustainability and success criterion for every company. Aytekin said, "Women are the backbone of the family and also a very important lever of social change. The number of companies supporting women's presence in all areas and levels of economic life is growing, along with local and global initiatives. This is because they know it matters for business success and sustainability. Today, companies are trying to earn the Best Workplaces for Women™ designation, because women are no longer being chosen—they are doing the choosing; choosing the firms they work for, the sectors, the jobs, their rights, their benefits…" Emphasizing that female trainers hold a very special place at Teedo, Aytekin added, "Each has different sector experience and professional backgrounds, different career paths, but what they all have in common is that they have achieved success in their own struggles. In Teedo trainings, they share both their experiences of existing in the workplace as women and their professional expertise with the younger generation of female employees."

Gender equality through the eyes of Teedo's strong female trainers

On the occasion of International Women's Day, we wanted to listen to Teedo's female trainers, each experienced in their own field, and learn their views on gender equality based on their own experiences.

"Leadership is a gem within every person waiting to be discovered"

Gülçin Aytemizel Telatar (Chief Product & Growth Officer/Paycell), who teaches the "Women at Work: Management and Leadership" course at Teedo, is a manager who has gained diverse experience over 18 years in technology, payment systems, retail banking and fintech. Stating that more efforts need to be made to increase women's visibility and impact in the business world, Gülçin Aytemizel Telatar says, "I have learned through direct experience that leadership exists as a gem within every person waiting to be discovered. Because of qualities such as empathetic approach, effective communication and results-orientation, women can offer different perspectives and embrace differences with their solution-oriented approach to complex issues. Being able to make mistakes, dealing with challenges, taking initiative, working efficiently and harmoniously, and succeeding in company structures that change over the years are important skills. In my past experiences, particularly during stressful moments, I have faced such trials many times and have overcome issues by managing stress properly and taking an empathetic approach…"

"The business world needs feminine energy…"

Sanem Karacan (Ex-Head of Brand/Adidas) is a professional who has worked for years in brand management and sales at leading companies in Turkey and around the world. Teaching the 'Multi-Brand Project Management' course at Teedo, Karacan believes that to increase women's presence in the business world, training and equal opportunities must first be provided in technical and behavioural skills. Karacan says, "We are going through a period when our need for feminine energy in leadership and business is increasing every day. Feminine energy represents an approach that promotes inclusivity and values different perspectives. This energy emphasizes values such as collaboration, empathy, support and compromise. In an inclusive environment, everyone's ideas and contributions matter and everyone's potential is evaluated to the highest level. In developing my own leadership style, my belief in inclusivity and diversity plays an important role. While developing this style, I drew inspiration from the success stories of female managers in my past experiences," and adds: "One of the most important pieces of advice I can give to the next generation of female leaders is to trust themselves and not compromise their own values. It is important that they remain aware of their own value, understand fear without backing down, do not lose their courage, and pursue their passions and values."

Positions have genders, and we need to break that!

Selvihan Elidüzgün (Sustainability Developer/H&M) completed her Environmental Engineering education, then pursued a master's degree in the same field, worked on sustainability projects, and today works as a sustainability developer at one of the world's leading global companies. She teaches the 'Corporate Sustainability Management Training' course at Teedo. Elidüzgün says, "Especially on sustainability, gender equality and diversity are very important. It is listed as an important heading under the Sustainable Development Goals and the entire business world is voluntarily following these new norms. The proportion of women in working life is gradually increasing. However, even though it is not written, positions in the business world have genders. I think we need to break this. For example, when someone says 'foreman,' everyone thinks of a male worker. But we are gradually witnessing changes, especially in the textile sector, and I believe this is a positive step," she says.