First lady Emine Erdoğan, highlighted Türkiye's unique history, where women have long been active in both social and public spheres. She noted that the entrepreneurial spirit of Turkish women dates back to the 13th century. In Anatolia, women organized themselves, engaged in social and economic life and became prominent figures in global women's history.
At the "Halkbank Women Entrepreneurs Competition Award Ceremony" held at the Halkbank General Directorate in Istanbul Finance Center in Istanbul on Feb. 17, Emine Erdoğan expressed her pride in joining the inspiring women whose innovative ideas and insightful perspectives filled the room.
She stressed the necessity of considering women's employment together with female leadership, claiming, “Female leadership possesses key characteristics that are urgently needed in the world today.”
She also acknowledged that it is common to see women struggling to balance work and family responsibilities.
“Work and family should not be a dilemma that forces women to choose between the two. We must increase the number of policies that eliminate this conflict and preserve family life," highlighted Emine Erdoğan.
Erdoğan explained that there are times in history when the world undergoes transformations and that the era we live in is such a period of change and transformation. She said, "A new future is being written, and countries are competing to design humanity's common future. Countries where women are key players in economic development are leading this race."
She continued: "Türkiye has a very special history, where women have always been present in social and public spheres. The roots of the entrepreneurial spirit of Turkish women date back to the 13th century. In Anatolia, women were organized, participated in social and economic life and became the shining stars of 'world women's history.'"
The first lady pointed out that women have always been at the forefront of the struggle for their rights, in defending the homeland and in healing societal wounds. "We are a country that recognizes how unparalleled a force women are and respects this truth. From the economy to industry, from sports to art, from politics to academia, our women’s labor is in every step we have taken. Since the first day, our government has developed exemplary policies for women to thrive in every field. It has encouraged the increase of female employment."
She also highlighted that "According to Turkish Statistical Institute (Turkstat) data, the female employment rate, which was around 26% in 2014, increased to 31.6% by December 2024. Our goal is to raise this rate to 36.2% by 2028. God willing, we will achieve this goal together," she said.
First lady Erdoğan emphasized that female employment should now be considered alongside female leadership, adding that the world today is discussing the importance of women’s leadership and conducting research on this topic.
She continued her speech, stressing the transformative power of leadership: "The vision of a leader permeates everything within their sphere of influence like capillaries. Women's leadership has certain characteristics that are urgently needed by the world. Research shows that women leaders have high abstract skills. They are very successful in communication, place great importance on cooperation, have a peaceful management approach and are more sensitive to environmental issues. No matter what field they work in, they have a healing impact on their sector."
She also stated: " As you know, entrepreneurship lies at the heart of women’s leadership. When we think of an entrepreneur, we think of people who stand out with their intelligence and intuition. They see existing gaps, identify needs and bring innovation to life. Our country has a highly rich potential for entrepreneurship in all of its regions. Especially, let’s not forget that women entrepreneurs are key local players in using local capacity and knowledge for global competition. The more obstacles we remove for women entrepreneurs, the more progress we will make in regional development."
Recalling that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared 2025 as the "Family Year," Emine Erdoğan said, "The family is the soul and locomotive of our society. The strong foundation of our resilient, prudent and powerful society is our family institution, which has deep roots. I hope that 'Family Year' will also be an important reminder for the business world."
"Women often struggle to balance work and family, leading to stress, self-doubt and unhappiness. This affects their quality of life and causes mental and emotional exhaustion, impacting both family and social life. Work and family should not be an either-or choice. We must implement more solutions to reduce this conflict and support family well-being," she said.
The first lady mentioned that women around the world face tough struggles to survive in competitive work environments designed for men, but the government has taken significant and improving steps in this regard. She emphasized the importance of work environments where women can preserve their female identity.
