Female Entrepreneurship Rates Rose During the Pandemic

A meeting moderated by Dr. Arzu Girişken, Faculty Member at Altınbaş Üniversitesi School of Business, addressed the successes and obstacles facing women exporters. TİM Women's Council Vice Chair Adalet İnanç noted that the top three sectors where women entrepreneurs are concentrated are software, biotechnology, and food. Gündüz Group Vice Chair Ruken Mızraklı drew attention to the increase in the proportion of women entrepreneurs in Turkey from 11 percent in 2020 to 13 percent. The obstacles facing women entrepreneurs and the pandemic's impact on women exporters were evaluated at a meeting organized by the Turkish Exporters Council (TİM) Women's Council. At the meeting, moderated by Dr. Arzu Girişken, Faculty Member at Altınbaş Üniversitesi School of Business, TİM Women's Council Vice Chair Adalet İnanç and Gündüz Group Vice Chair Ruken Mızraklı delivered presentations on the subject. TİM Women's Council Vice Chair Adalet İnanç, noting that approximately 150 women entrepreneurs have been supported within TİM-TEB Enterprise House to date, stated: "The top three sectors where women entrepreneurs are concentrated are software, biotechnology, and food. Sixty percent of the women entrepreneurs supported are based outside Istanbul and they provide employment for more than one thousand people. The total turnover of women entrepreneurs reached TRY 158 million." İnanç underscored that, with support contributions, the share of women-led companies in exports rose from 11 percent before the pandemic to 13 percent. Adalet İnanç described the objectives and activities of the TİM Women's Council, established in 2018 with 54 members, as follows: "Our objective is to increase the number of women entrepreneurs, managers, and employees in our country in line with gender equality targets and to develop projects to change the perception that business is 'men's work'. Under the leadership of our TİM Chair İsmail Gülle, as council members we convene at every opportunity to work for our women exporters. By welcoming new women exporters to our family, we aim to take our success one step further. An increase in the number of women entrepreneurs will further strengthen our exports," she said.

Defense and Aerospace Exports to Rise

Addressing the pandemic's impact on exports, Adalet İnanç said, "We anticipate that exports in many sectors will increase in the coming years following the pandemic." According to TİM calculations, İnanç stated that the sector with the highest expected export growth is defense and aerospace at 425 percent, followed by aquatic products and animal products at 297 percent, machinery and components at 179 percent, carpets at 164 percent, and jewelry at 156 percent.

Women Entrepreneur Share Rose During Pandemic

Gündüz Group Vice Chair Ruken Mızraklı said: "In 2020, while women entrepreneurs accounted for 34 percent globally, in Turkey they remained limited to 13 percent. However, this ratio was 11 percent the previous year. In other words, the pandemic created an opportunity for some women entrepreneurs." Noting that Turkey has a long way to go to match the global average in women entrepreneurship, Mızraklı stated, "The first steps to be taken on this path involve training and encouraging our women. Creating financing for them is also important."

New Technologies Should Be Used

Highlighting how new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things, and machine learning accelerated during the pandemic, Mızraklı said, "It is now time for companies to shift to higher gear. If we want to enter the world's top 10 economies, we need to produce high technology. Using artificial intelligence is now unavoidable." Source: DHA