Strength in Unity: Inspiring Women's Journeys

As a woman, I have always believed that being in the business world is not only about paving your own way, but also being able to say to other women, "You can do it too."
In this journey that I started with this belief, today, as a member of the Board of Directors, Executive Board and Founding President of the Aydın Business Women's Association (İSKAD), I am proud to be the voice of women entrepreneurs.

For years, I have been involved in social projects in order to make women's labor stronger, to increase production and to put a woman's hand in local development. From women's cooperatives to young entrepreneur trainings, from social responsibility activities to the commercialization of women's brands, I have gotten used to promoting the idea of "growing together" in many areas. Çünkü I know that if a woman is empowered, her family, her home, her city and eventually her country are empowered.

With this understanding, one of the most özel ç exercises we have carried out is our visit to the “ "Will You Be My Dealer?"” Fair, which we held last month.
With 135 women, this fair journey from Aydın to Istanbul was not just a trip; it was also a story of learning, discovering and gaining courage.
Some were attending a fair for the first time, some were there with the dream of expanding their brand… But all of us were together with the same purpose — to promote women entrepreneurship — on the same buses, with the same excitement.

In the realization of this great organization, AYTO Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Hakan Ülken’lken’s visionary support and vision for women üy was one of the most important güçs that paved the way for us.
The approach that the Aydın Chamber of Commerce has adopted for women to participate more actively in economic life and to take part in production and branding processes constitutes the distinctive approach of the Aydın Chamber of Commerce.
With this support, we women take bolder steps in the field and have the opportunity to discover our potential.

The success of the organization also owes a great deal to the contributions of Duygu Sandıklı, Gülhan Erkuş, Şule Civarakoğlu, Pelin Yardım, Gamze Asnuk and Seçil Uyaroğlu, my dear colleagues in the AYTO Executive Board. Each of them took responsibility for a different area of the process, ensuring that women got the most out of the experience.
This solidarity was the most concrete demonstration of what women can achieve when they come together.

During the fair, our women met entrepreneurs from all over Turkey, learned about new business models, and received ideas on branding processes.
Some found the supply for their own brand, some came up with ideas to improve their production. But most importantly, they all went home with the same glow in their eyes, saying, "I can do it too.".

For me, the meaning of this sentence is very deep. Çünkü for years, in every social work I have done, my biggest goal has been to make a woman realize her own potential.
This is why the trainings and projects we have organized for the development of our women entrepreneurs in every field from production to marketing, from digital dönünüşüm to branding under AYTO çat are so valuable.

We want to create an economy where women inspire each other and grow with common sense.
And in this journey, I know that every small step we take will pave the way for the women of the future.

When I look back today, I feel the peace of having touched hundreds of stories in Aydın, from women's cooperatives to entrepreneurship trainings, from local producers to branding journeys.
But I know that we are at the beginning of the road. Çünkü it is possible to hold the hands of more women, to encourage more artists, to inspire more stories.

I believe in this güce.
And with this belief, I am very happy to see that every journey that women undertake shoulder to shoulder creates a change.

I would like to thank our Chairman Mr. Hakan Ülken’ for his unwavering support during this process, my colleagues in the Executive Board ’ who have worked together with great harmony and dedication, and all my colleagues in the Executive Board ’ who believe in this story;I would like to thank all my colleagues in the Executive Committee and all our women entrepreneurs who believe in this story wholeheartedly.

Belgin Çekmen Altay, Board Member of Aydın Chamber of Commerce, Founding President of İSKAD. She has been involved in many projects in the fields of women's entrepreneurship, local production and social development and has been taking an active role in the development of women's economy in Aydın.