Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey July 2008

Established in 2002, KAGİDER redefined its mission and vision in February 2007 through a strategic planning session. Vision: To develop entrepreneurship among women and to strengthen the status of women economically and socially. Mission: To create a world in which women ‘produce’ and establish their existence freely and play an efficient role in the decision making process. KAGİDER Mission and Vision

KAGİDER’s Basic Activities I 1.To enhance and empower women’s entrepreneurship and provide a sustainable resource by establishing the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Centre Serving as a reference to potential entrepreneurs (handbook) Providing infrastructure to entrepreneurship projects through incubation, mentorship and consultancy services Empowering women entrepreneurs through seminars, training and networking

KAGİDER’s Basic Activities II 2. Advocacy for gender equality Advancing policy recommendations in subjects of employment and entrepreneurship Playing an active role in Turkey’s EU negotiation process Promoting the gender equality agenda to increase the status of women

Member’s Profile/Education 175 members

Members’Profile/Demography CityMembers Adana3 Ankara10 Aydın1 Gaziantep1 İstanbul146 Kayseri2 Kırklareli2 Kocaeli2 Kütahya2 Mersin1

Members’ Profile/Sectors

Members’ Profile/Employment

Women in Turkey and the EU

Turkish Woman  Average age: 28  Average life span: 71  Lifetime education: 6 years  Education: 70% high school and vocational school graduate, 24% elementary, university graduate  25% of academics are women  Women employment: 24%  Women entrepreneurship: 9 %  Difference in wages between genders: %  Women in senior management: 6 %  The time women are spending in housekeeping and caring 5h 17 min/day, men 51 min/day  Representation in parliament: 9 %  Violence against women: 30 %

European Woman  Average age: 39  Average life span: 81  Lifetime education: 10 years  Education: 81% high school, 14% elementary, 59% university graduate  15% of professors are women  Women’s employment: 57 %  Women entrepreneurship: 28 %  Women’s unemployment: 9 %  Difference in wages between genders : 15%  Women in senior management: 33 %  The time women are spending in housekeeping and caring 3h/day, men 1,1 h/day  In the EU parliament: 30 %,  Average of women representation in the national parliaments of the EU member states 23 %

Entrepreneurship Projects

I. Training  Entrepreneurship Training: KAGİDER has trained 1300 women to date through entrepreneurship training and seminars. In 2008 KAGİDER developed its own trademarked trainings:  “I am establishing my business” training  “I am expanding my business” training

II. Incubation  KAGİDER- Incubation Project KAGIDER has assisted women establish their own business by opening the first entrepreneurs’ incubation centre in Turkey. Women entrepreneurs that receive incubation support are also provided consultancy services. Four women who have participated in KAGIDER’s incubation have successfully established their own brands and businesses. The incubation centre will continue with a new group of incubators, following the completion of 2008 training sessions.

III. Other Services  Mentorship Services Candidate entrepreneurs are matched based on personality tests with KAGIDER members. The members mentor the candidates for two years in both sectoral and personal matters.  Consultancy Services Moving forward the consultancy services that have formally only been available to incubators, will be provided in 2008 to all women interested in receiving the service. When requested, consultancy is provided in areas of law, marketing etc.

Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Centre (WELC) KAGİDER has raised the required funds with the support of 21 companies, and is on her way to establishing a centre that will provide all of the services mentioned above.  KAGİDER has hired a professional manager to lead the WELC Project  KAGİDER is currently in the process of selecting a building for the centre  KAGİDER is in ongoing dialogue with prospective sponsors IV. One of our dreams is coming true. To reach more women, we are opening the Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Centre

Kadın Girişimcilik ve Liderlik Merkezi This is what we dream of: By the close of 2008 the WLEC will be open

Bridge From Women to Women:  KAGİDER supports women of southeast Turkey in Mardin, where women comprise 76.1% of the illiterate population  In collaboration with a local NGO, the project works with women from this region to produce traditional tablecloth and natural soap. The project also coordinates international marketing channels for both products through sponsoring companies, DHL and Johnson Diversy  Bridge From Women to Women won the 2005 World Bank award in recognition of initiatives that support local women V. Most Recently Completed Projects

V. Planned Projects for  KAGİDER has submitted a project proposal, in partnership with ITO, to the EU funding program ‘Active Employment Measures’  5 Towns, 5 Summits: : Adana, Kayseri, Eskişehir, Samsun, İzmir. Through this program we will be enlightening the ways of women entrepreneurs through Sept – Dec 2008  International Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summit. In cooperation with America Turkish Friends’ Council, women entrepreneurs and leaders will gather in İstanbul in June 2009  Academicians  Leaders  Role Models

Advocacy

I. KAGİDER asks for equal representation of women in parliament  KAGİDER brought together women members of parliament in Ankara on September 4,  On June 1, 2007, KAGİDER organized a panel at Bahçeşehir University on the representation of women in political life.  KAGİDER participated in the TÜSİAD conference “The Empowerment of Women in Political Life”.

II. Active with KSGM and the Development of the New Civil Code  As a member of the advisory group to KSGM, KAGİDER gave a presentation on “Obstacles in Women’s Employment and Possible Solutions”.  KAGİDER participated in the Gender Budgeting conference at the UN in New York from February 24 – March 4, 2008.

III. Active participation in the preparation of the civil code  KAGİDER participated in the top civil code platform and women’s civil code platform

IV. Advocacy in Support of Women’s Employment  On Jan 10 KAGİDER posted its views on the new employment package to the Work and Social Security Minister and the Minister responsible for women concerning the new employment package and asked for:  Social Security Incentive programs for employers to hire women  The continuation of childcare services  The employment package was approved on May 26  5 year incentive to achieve the Social Security premium  KAGİDER will work with the Minister responsible for women in order to expand the application of this incentive  KAGİDER will carry out this campaign

V. Advocacy concernıng women’s employment cont’d.  KAGİDER delivered a speech at the summit “Lets remove the clichés in the business world”  KAGİDER participated in ILOs presentation “Women’s Employment Status Turkey Report”

VI. Active Participation in the EU Turkey Negotiation Process  KAGİDER has successfully closed the EU funded project Women’s Way to Europe  From February 14 – 15, 2008, KAGİDER participated in the Intercultural Dialogue Conference series organized by Bilgi University with a presentation called “Where do the Turkish and EU Women meet?”  On February 19, 2008, KAGİDER’s board visited the president of the Republic, Abdullah Gül and emphasized the need for an entity above the EU negotiation process.

March 4, 2008 KAGİDER Brussells Office opened in the Tüsiad Building KAGİDER Brussells was established

KAGİDER Brussells Office Opens…

Great interest in KAGİDER Brussells  April 20-30, Brussells invites Commissioner Spidla to visit KAGİDER’s Brussels office

The EU is the Only Way

Gender Equality Report is Being Renewed  The 2007 EU Parliament progress report on Turkey will be launched in July, with a section on gender equality influenced by KAGİDER  TÜSİAD-KAGİDER Gender Equality Report:  With KAGİDER’s proposal an EU section has been added and will be launched in July 2008  KAGİDER has started research about women’s entrepreneurship

International Relations

International Membership Associations  European Women’s Lobby  FCEM (Worldwide Network of Women Business Owners)  Balkans Women Coalition

KAGİDER is Among International Leaders  June 2008: KAGİDER was invited by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Dora Bakoyannis, to the “Next Generation Initiative: Local Business for Global Rights”

We are Continuing Our Way We will continue to push for change to advance the position of women. By advancing policy and language that includes a gender perspective, we seek to remodel the system to protect and ensure equal gender rights.

Thank you