Inspiring women meet at “A More Equal World” panel

On March 8, International Women's Day, İşbank hosted a panel titled “A More Equal World," aligning with the United Nations' theme for the year, “Invest in women: Accelerate progress" featuring accomplished women from diverse sectors including sports, industry, agriculture, and science, who shared their inspiring stories and experiences on the path to success.

March 8, International Women's Day, is celebrated in Türkiye and globally through diverse events that underscore women's empowerment in economic, social, and political spheres, rooted in the principle of gender equality as a fundamental human right.

Işıl Dadaylı, Head of Capital Markets at İşbank, delivered the opening speech at the panel where accomplished women from various domains including sports, agriculture, industry, and science convened in two separate sessions to share their inspiring stories and experiences, reflecting on the paths that led them to success.

Moderated by Nilay Örnek, the panel “Strong Women, Strong Future / Women in Entrepreneurship" featured Assoc. Prof. Ebru Güzel, Fenerbahçe University's New Media Department Head, National Tennis Player Çağla Büyükakçay, and İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu, KOÇKAM Scholar and Co-Founder of We Need to Talk Association.

In the “Women in the World of Entrepreneurship" session moderated by Barış Karakullukçu, Head of New Generation Entrepreneurship at İş Group, participants included Alara Eren İplikçioğlu, partner and CEO of Juphy; Ferda Yazıcıol, Founder of Yüzeytek Yüzey İşlem Teknolojileri Sanayi; and Tülay Genç, a silkworm breeder in Hatay, all graduates of the Workup Entrepreneurship Program, of which İşbank is the main supporter.

Işıl Dadaylı remarked, “We believe that empowering women in social spheres hinges on bolstering their presence in professional arenas, and that it is therefore crucial to scrutinize and enhance the processes that equip women for the business world. A framework crafted around family life, the education process, and social dynamics will serve as a blueprint for fostering women's advancement into roles demanding greater responsibility and entrepreneurship in business life." Dadaylı highlighted the low representation of female executives in the business sphere, noting that only 17.9 percent of board members among 512 companies listed on Borsa İstanbul are women, and that 179 companies have boards of directors composed entirely of men. Sharing information about İş Asset Women in Workforce Equity Fund, which is celebrating its 3rd anniversary, Dadaylı stated, “50 percent of the fund's generated income is allocated to KOÇKAM to bolster resources for scientific research. There are 198 companies within the investment universe, and the fund secured a position in the top 5 among equity-intensive funds in 2023, boasting an impressive return of 85 percent. Its total size surged to TL 1 billion TL, attracting 29 thousand investors."

İşbank's initiatives for empowering women  

• In March 2023, the Bank released the “Declaration on Women's Empowerment," with the objective of offering TL 100 billion in financing to women business managers by 2028 and providing financial literacy training to 15,000 women   entrepreneurs. Within this framework, the total amount extended to women entrepreneurs in 2023 amounted to TL 35 billion.

• Established on March 8, 2021, in collaboration with İşbank and KOÇKAM, the İş Asset Women in Workforce Equity Fund is the first fund centered around the theme of gender equality. 

• The Bank allocates 50% of the fund's revenues to Koç University to support its scientific research and educational initiatives. 

• As of January 1, 2024, the fund's investment universe comprises 198 companies. 

• Since its inception, the fund has generated a return of approximately 850%. 

• The fund's total size has reached TL 1 billion, with the number of investors reaching 29,000. 

• In 2021, İşbank launched the “Women's Power in Entrepreneurship" project under the lead of the Turkish Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) and the support of UN Women. The project offers face-to-face and online training support to women entrepreneurs across various regions of Türkiye, irrespective of sector and scale, aiming to enhance their capacities and foster stronger communication networks. As of the end of 2023, a total of 5,043 women have received training. 

• The Bank launched a “genderless dictionary" initiative, which aims to reduce the use of masculine language, eliminate discriminatory terminology, and promote awareness. 

• İşbank reinforced its egalitarian approach, which it has embraced since its establishment, by becoming a signatory to the UN Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) in 2020.

• In 2022, the Bank joined the 30% Club, an international initiative that aims to improve the gender equality balance at all levels of companies and works on a mission to increase and sustain the representation of women on boards of directors. 

• Also in 2022, the Bank's efforts in the field of gender equality were recognized as it was included in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index. 

• In 2021, a Gender Equality Policy was instituted through a resolution by the Board of Directors. 

• In 2022, the implementation of the Board Diversity Policy expanded the suite of Board-approved policies in this domain. With this policy, İşbank aims to achieve a representation of female members on the Board of Directors exceeding 30% by the conclusion of 2026.