Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

- How did TOBB mobilize women entrepreneurs?

In 2007, TOBB established TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Board (KGK) to develop and enhance the potential of women entrepreneurs. TOBBKGK carries hundreds of activities each year to make it more convenient for women entrepreneurship ecosystem in 81 provinces of Turkey. With help of TOBB KGK, which TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu established for the women in business to take their rightful place, the importance of entrepreneurship as a career option among women is increasing day by day; the board members of TOBB KGK which is Turkey's largest women entrepreneurs network with 7 thousand members are the business women, professional executives, academicians working in the field of entrepreneurship, non-governmental organizations executing regional or national activities in this field and representatives of public institutions and organizations supporting entrepreneurship. The Council of Women Entrepreneurs has representatives in 81 provinces of Turkey. TOBB Provincial Women Entrepreneurs Council is composed of 15 members of the board of directors who are elected by the election.

- Hatice Kangal told the success story

President of TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Council in Kırşehir, Hatice Kangal, is among the people who returned to Turkey with reverse migration. Born in 1977, Kangal went to France with her family after graduating from high school. Kangal tells the next part of her story as "My family was a family of workers and I studied in a department including elements such as architecture-landscape in France. I returned to Turkey by marrying. My husband's a doctor. I have been to many cities and visited many cities such as Urfa and Samsun. On the advice of a friend, I worked as a sworn translator at a translation office. I did this for 4.5 years. I was responsible for foreign trade in a company in Samsun. I worked there for about 2 years which started as continuation of a one-day job as interpreter. I taught French at private schools. I taught French in Eskişehir and Samsun".

Kangal continued as follows: "Finally I started thinking about what I can do about my own business in Gaziantep. I worked there for two years in a construction company, and for me it was back to my field. Then, we worked with our own interior design office. However, we returned to my hometown Kirsehir again. After thinking about what I would do here for a long time, I opened this business, which was also related to architecture, foreseeing that it was difficult to be in the field. I am currently the representative of various brands in Kirsehir. "

Kangal, stating that because of her struggling aspect, she was constantly present in business life according to the conditions of the area where she went, and said "Therefore, my orbit has changed constantly. I have people I know and I can call everywhere and this is very nice".  Kangal, who mentioned that she did not know there were such good works about entrepreneurship till she got in TOBB Women Entrepreneurs Board, said "Some people are born lucky, I think I am one of them and I got into this business by foreseeing what I can do for the other people". Kangal, stating that TOBB family did not spare their support in this process, continues as follows: "Selahattin Ekicioğlu, our previous President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and now our mayor, gave a lot of support. Pınar Demir, the general secretary and fellow of our chamber, supports all kinds of works. Now, Mustafa Yılmaz, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gives support. We thank TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu too much. After taking the office, we firstly opened a social media account as a necessity of the era and started to explain our establishment through social media. We made courtesy visits, but at the same time, we created the infrastructure for collaboration. The fact that our mayor was from us was a very positive aspect. During our visit to them, we decided to work in the cooperative system."

Kangal said "Recently, Urla Women Entrepreneur Production and Business Cooperative visited us. They explained their processes. So we set our own road map. We will start from the neighborhoods and go to villages. We will organize mukhtars. We thought that the mukhtars were the right address for identifying those in need. Our problem is not only to sell what women produce, we want to ensure that women are also involved in social life. In the future, we will meet with mukhtars. We will also organize the women in Boztepe. We will have cooperative trainings for this. We thought about it for a long time, but it was the shortest way to bring women together. We can also consider establishing large-scale workshops".

-Women entrepreneurs from Kırşehir told: How did they become entrepreneurs?

Hülya Coşkuntuna: "After finishing high school, I worked as teacher deputy. Then I got into the bank. I finished the high school as the second but I had to work. My husband didn't want me to work after I got married. But getting money from my husband made me sad. I have three daughters. As soon as my little girl started school, I wanted to work again, first there was a hotel operated by my husband, and I took over the business. A woman touched the hotel. We made pancakes and I talked to everyone to make the events in hotels. Then, my husband established a gas station. Then I aspired to be there. I made a bit of a struggle and he accepted, but this time, the customers didn't even want to come and sit with me. It was kind of considered as a man's job. I didn't even dye my hair in the first stage, I paid more attention to my clothing. I have been in the fuel sector for 25-26 years now and have received many awards. Moreover, many of the suggestions I have submitted to the fuel company I have worked with have been accepted and implemented. The company had many trips to the dealers but never took their wives. I have written to the general directorate, objected and there is no trip without wives at the moment. When I started the work, my husband was saying "This place is a gas station, it would be greasy". I objected to that. For a long time, we offered our warm pastries to the guests. There are seats in our station. I equipped a dry tree with amulets, made a wish tree. So a woman touched the gas station. I am still a representative of TEMA and I am a council member in the provincial chamber of commerce and industry. My philosophy of life is to work. I love working and I want everyone to work.”

Cansu Teke: I am dietitian and life coach. When I graduated with an honorary degree as a dietitian 3 years ago, I was unemployed. Like many graduates, I have sent CVs to hundreds of places. Everyone said "We'll call you." I signed up with a gym and started working there 3 days a week. I attended 20 national and international conferences at the university. I did an internship alongside Turkey's most important dietician. As a result, I have established my own clinic and I have been running my own clinic for two years. I also have a master's degree and life coaching. I chose Kırşehir because I want to be with my family. There are many difficulties to start at a young age. I learned the process as follows; I looked after my patients for 6 months, then VAT and taxes were issued. That's how I met the concept of tax. Every step, I learnt something new.”

Deniz Akgül: I am originally from Izmir. I'm a graduate of international relations department. I have master's degree. I got married and settled in Ankara. I started working for a company that wrote EU projects. I have written many projects. I got my master's degree. I took part in the administrative staff of Bilkent Space Research Project. When my husband came here, I came here too. Firstly I applied to the chamber of commerce and industry for the project. But suddenly the projects stopped. Then I started my PhD at Erciyes University in Kayseri. Then I moved to Ahi Evran University. At that stage, they offered the chairmanship of the Board of Women Entrepreneurs, and I accepted, but I wanted to give the job to an entrepreneur in the second term. I have worked hard to become an entrepreneur, but I am currently giving entrepreneurship courses. I still have a dream of starting a company. I also write articles on companies that have been opened. But one day I will open my own company.”

Beyhan Özen: I have three daughters. I'm an agricultural technician. I am from Kırşehir. First, I was in charge of sales at my uncle's clothing store, I got home when I got married. I couldn't continue the courses because my husband made me deleted from them. My husband had a subcontractor company, he hired me as a technician and then fired me. But I didn't give up. I determined that there is a gap in the field of kitchen products in Kırşehir and invited the executives of a company operating in this field and convinced them to do business with me. Now I feel like I have always been in the business. I close the store too late, but I keep up with everything. It's not hard. I make my own money and set an example for my daughters. When I started this job, this was my target; I wanted them not to say 'My mother is walking with a credit card in her hand', I wanted them to see that I produce. And I have done it.”

Secretary General Pınar Demir: "We want our institution to be an example for Kırşehir. We want to pioneer the women who do production at home and can't get them to the market. We're at the very beginning of the road, but I'm glad to say that there are twitches.”