ISTANBUL – Nevin İl, chairwoman of the East and Southeast Turkey Businesswomen Association (DOGÜNKAD), stated that exporting to Armenia through Georgia increases export costs by 300 percent. She added that the exports would increase by half if the Armenian border was open. According to İl, DOGÜNKAD conducts the activities of the Istanbulbased Women's Labor and Employment Initiative in the region.

According to İl, DOGÜNKAD conducts the activities of the Istanbul- oriented Women's Labor and Employment Initiative in the region. "We aim to open day care centers in areas where there are multiple workplaces.

Out of our planned projects with border countries, we have realized two. For the first, we conducted a project in cooperation with the Council of Armenian Businesswomen. We signed mutual cooperation agreements with 10 companies. The problem is that all border gates to Armenia are closed.

That is why we send our products through Georgia, which increases our costs by 300 percent. It takes us 35 hours to get there by bus, while it normally takes six hours by car. We went there four times and received them four times. We developed very pleasant friendships and cooperation. It is quite significant for our trade to open the border gates. In this case, our exports would increase by half," said İl.
Noting that they cooperate with the Kurdistan Association for Business Women, İl added: "We provided mutual advisory services. We opened an advisory center to serve all businesswomen in Irbil to render a higher yield. We will bring together all businesswomen of the Middle East first in Irbil and then in Diyarbakır. We will realize our third border project in Georgia."

İl stated that they give weight to women's employment. "We are trying to get women's employment recorded.

We will prepare a report based on information collected by our members and submit them to ministries. We aim to increase women's employment by at least 30 percent. Personally, I taught a woman how to drive a forklift. Primarily, putting women at ease is the task of employers," said İl.