Turkish retail chain giant Migros will enhance the gender balance in its workforce and greener stores through a 60 million euro ($71 million) loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The loan will support the retailer to develop and implement an equal opportunities action plan, which will set out gender-responsible recruitment strategies and open up more job opportunities for women, according to a statement from the bank on Monday.

Migros will hire over 2,000 women to fill new positions created as a result of burgeoning demand for grocery shopping amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The company will open new stores, refurbish others and embed renewable energy systems and energy-saving technologies, thanks to the loan.

Migros operates in 81 Turkish provinces, through a network of 2,286 food retail stores under the Migros, Migros Jet, 5M and Macrocenter banners.

As a leading institutional investor in Turkey, EBRD has invested almost 13 billion euros in the country through 334 projects so far.