Sabancı Foundation Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Sabancı Holding Chairman of the Board Güler Sabancı made statements about the inequalities experienced by women and girls at the event “Achieving the Goals of the Republic in the Second Century with Gender Equality” organized by TÜSİAD. Sabancı said, “As we enter the second century of the Republic, equality is not enough, we must ensure a permanent cultural transformation in our companies.” said.
Sabancı Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman and Sabancı Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors, who participated as a speaker at the “Achieving the Goals of the Republic in its Second Century with Gender Equality” event held by the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD) at Sabancı Center and gave a speech on “The Unfinished Issue of the Republic”. Güler Sabancı started her speech by sharing the information that they will open 3 schools in Hatay, which is one of the provinces most affected by the earthquake. Sabancı said, “When we landed on the field, we saw that one of the top priorities in the earthquake zone is that children and teachers meet in the school environment and education continues from where it left off. In addition to our other contributions in the field, we, as the Sabancı Foundation, will open 3 schools with steel materials and permanently designed in Hatay on 23 April, 19 May and 21 June, on dates befitting our Republic.” used the phrases.
Continuing her speech with the focus on the inequalities that women and girls experience in all areas, especially in education and business life, Güler Sabancı stated that although the enrollment rate in compulsory education levels has reached 90 percent, the quality of education is not at the desired level: we must be the driving force that will pave the way for them to receive a quality education and we must work with all our strength for this without compromising. We know that we cannot address this issue independently of teachers, one of the most critical building blocks of quality education. We have been continuing the Purple Certificate Program for 16 years, under the leadership of Sabancı University and Sabancı Foundation, in order to raise awareness of gender equality by taking with us the transformative power of teachers in society. Within the scope of this program, we have reached thousands of teachers directly. Thus, more than 1 million students have grown up with this awareness. In addition, under the leadership of the Education Reform Initiative, we continue to work for quality education with the Teacher Network project, which we have implemented together with valuable foundations for the empowerment of teachers. This and many other successful projects are implemented by non-governmental organizations and foundations. Ensuring equality and increasing quality in schooling should always be our main goal.” he said.
“We must now see that we ensure the active and qualified participation of girls in education life and afterwards in employment”
Güler Sabancı said, “In the new century of the Republic, it should be our critical success target to direct and encourage girls to science and technology” and added, “According to the 2021 data of the Global Gender Inequality Report, the rate of women who prefer STEM fields in higher education in our country is only 14 percent. Girls can set themselves goals in the field of STEM. We need to ensure that they see these areas as opportunities for themselves. All human resources policies of the companies and the incentives to be offered should be an attractive force in the selection of these areas for girls. We must now see that we ensure the active and qualified participation of girls in education and employment.” said.
“As we enter the second century of the Republic, equality is not enough, we must achieve a lasting cultural transformation in our companies.” Güler Sabancı said, “Achieving equality is not just about the number of female employees alone. It is essential to create an inclusive corporate culture and create a climate where all managers and employees believe in this equality. However, let’s not forget that equality cannot be achieved with empty wishes and wishes. The emphasis on equality should be part of the performance culture in our companies. We will make it a priority for our companies to improve themselves in the fields of equality, equity and inclusion. Having equality, equity and inclusiveness goals alongside business goals for our companies and leaders is critical for us to strengthen performance. In all human resources processes, especially promotion and recruitment, it can be requested as a performance criterion that half of the candidates with the same qualifications should be women. Only in this way can we ensure diversity in the talent pool and form the building blocks of our goals for the future.” he said.
From Güler Sabancı to female employees: “Never give up”
Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: “A nation cannot rise with the progress of only men.” Güler Sabancı, quoting her words, said, “The founder of our Republic, the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, underlined that the equal position of women in all areas of life is indispensable for a developed society and paved the way for women in this struggle. This goal, which is not difficult to achieve, should be led by the business world.” used the phrase.
Güler Sabancı stated that it is the right business decision for qualified women to be active in business life and said, “Today, while so many female leaders are actively involved in the business world, we still encounter definitions such as ‘industries suitable for women’. In the second century of the Republic, we cannot accept these memorizations that young people do not accept, such as the fact that a woman has to get permission from her husband to work. After the earthquake, I met female engineers working at Enerjisa in Hatay. These young women, who are working day and night for the re-enlightenment of Hatay, support exactly what I have said.” said.
Continuing her speech by addressing all women in working life, Güler Sabancı said, “Focus on what you do. What you do is important and valuable, not what position you work in. Give importance to teamwork and self-development. Never give up. I always say equality, but still get your job done. Work harder if necessary to make your success unquestionable.” He ended his speech with his words.
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
