Women Exporters Set Their New Roadmap at the TİM WINGS Workshop
At the workshop held at the TİM Foreign Trade Complex, discussions revolved around increasing women's participation in exports and the support mechanisms available for female exporters, alongside evaluations of future objectives.
Organized by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), the TİM WINGS Workshop brought together women exporters and entrepreneurs at the TİM Foreign Trade Complex. The event served as a platform to assess the activities carried out under TİM WINGS over the past year while also facilitating consultations on future strategies.
“We Have Provided Favorable Financing Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs”
Delivering the opening speech of the workshop, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe underscored the critical role of the TİM WINGS project in strengthening women's presence in exports, emphasizing the economic contributions that supporting women entrepreneurs can bring to the country. Noting that the project was launched on March 8, International Women's Day, Gültepe stated, “We embarked on this journey with the slogan 'Strong Women, Strong Exports, Strong Türkiye.'”
Gültepe highlighted that TİM, in collaboration with the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE), had established the "Women Entrepreneur Certification Criteria," explaining, “This criterion aims to define women's entrepreneurship with clear parameters and enhance their influence in the business world. Within a year, 29 companies have obtained this certification. However, we did not stop at certification alone. To provide financial support, we partnered with Eximbank and the Export Credit Guarantee Fund (İGE) to launch the 'Supporting Women in Export' package. Through this initiative, we have offered female entrepreneurs financing with interest rates far more favorable than market conditions. So far, three companies have secured loans from Eximbank, while ten firms have benefited from İGE guarantees.”
“We Will Strengthen Our Strategies to Engage More Women in Exports”
Gültepe further emphasized that beyond financial assistance, women entrepreneurs were also supported through educational and advisory programs. He announced the launch of the "Break Barriers in Exports" training program in collaboration with Akbank, stating, “We have held training sessions in Gaziantep, İzmir, Bursa, Ankara, İstanbul, and Antalya, with more than 600 participants. Through these programs, women entrepreneurs have enhanced their knowledge and skills to increase their competitive edge in exports.”
Additionally, Gültepe shared that, for the first time in TİM's history, a sector-specific UR-GE project focused on the textile and ready-to-wear industries had been initiated for women entrepreneurs. Under this project, participants received support in areas such as needs analysis, training and consultancy, international marketing, and promotional activities. He further noted that the project had been included in the support framework of the Ministry of Trade.
Affirming that TİM maintains continuous communication with women entrepreneurs to stand by them, Gültepe stated, “In the coming period, we will strengthen our strategies to bring more women into exports and enhance their competitiveness. With new collaborations, robust financial support, and more comprehensive training programs, we aim to elevate TİM WINGS to new heights.”
New Strategies Defined at the Workshop
The event continued with a presentation by Project Coordination Manager Melike Emiroğlu Kaplan, who provided a detailed account of the initiatives undertaken under TİM WINGS over the past year, along with an overview of the newly formulated strategies and objectives for the future.
The workshop concluded with interactive group sessions moderated by Prof. Dr. Figen Yıldırım, Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Administrative, and Social Sciences at İstinye University, ensuring active participation from attendees.