| Women in work get financial boost |
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ISTANBUL - An international fund is launched to assist women entrepreneurs in society and is hailed by the two female Cabinet ministers as a move in the right direction. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also sends a message.
Another step forward in efforts to empower woman in society will be taken by the Woman Entrepreneurs Association, or KAGİDER, with the launch of an international fund dedicated to woman entrepreneurship and leadership.
Gülseren Onanç, the head of the association announced the move at the first International Woman Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit yesterday. Two female ministers in the Cabinet, State Minister Selma Aliye Kavaf, who is responsible for women’s issues and Nimet Çubukçu, the education minister, attended the summit where they echoed the importance of such a move.
The establishment of the fund is planned for within the year through a cooperation of the Turkish State Ministry Responsible for Women’s Issues and U.S Embassy. The fund aims to collect $10 million in the first year, Onanç said. Other international financial institutions will support the fund, while from Turkey, the support of Treasury and the European Development Bank are anticipated.
The two-day long summit is being jointly organized by the by KAGİDER and Garanti Bank. The majority of attendees of the summit were women from all over the world, as well as high-level officials and experts from the World Bank, the European Commission and the U.S. State Department. U.S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent a video message to the summit as well.
Lack of education biggest impediment
"The greatest impediment in front of woman entrepreneurship is education," said Education Minister Çubukçu, who was formerly State Minister responsible for women’s issues. Çubukçu talked in the session titled "How can woman leaders change the world?" In 21st century women’s issues are still being debated, said Çubukçu, which is a sign that steps should be taken more quickly. All research into the issue has identified that as the education level of women increases, they are less subjected to violence and can participate in the work force in greater numbers, Çubukçu said, highlighting the significance of education for women and schooling rate for girls. "The social determination [in educating the girls] is in accordance with the political determination and I can say that we will have very quick steps in this area." Minister Kavaf gave a speech at the same session. "One half of the world’s population, women, are pushing the other half for producing more, for being entrepreneurs," Kavaf said.
The 9th Development Plan of Turkey includes issues such as professional training, professional counseling, and entrepreneurship training programs, Kavaf said. "In our country, which is under membership process to the European Union, ,the fundamental essence of the programs, projects and works of harmony to the EU is gender equality," she said.
Melanne Verveer, the U.S. ambassador responsible for global women’s issues, also said well in her speech that what was critical was "to switch on the not-so-ordinary women." |
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