ETO AND TOBB ESKİŞEHİR KGK CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY WITH AN EVENT

Eskişehir Chamber of Commerce and TOBB Eskişehir Women Entrepreneurs Committee collaborated to organize a networking event and discussion titled "From Past to Future: Turkish Women in Eskişehir and the Republic" as part of the International Women's Day celebrations.

The event took place at the Vehbi Koç Congress Center and featured guest speaker Selin Söğütlügil, an academic, poet, and writer who is a relative of Atatürk. The discussion was moderated by Prof. Dr. Zafer Koylu from ESOGÜ's Department of History.

ETO Continues to Support Women Entrepreneurs

In his opening remarks, ETO President Metin Güler highlighted the achievements of Turkish women in various fields, from the War of Independence to archaeology and linguistics, noting that they would continue to write new success stories in entrepreneurship. Güler emphasized ETO's commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and acknowledged the hard work of Elif Gürkaynak, President of the TOBB Eskişehir Women Entrepreneurs Committee, and her team in nurturing new women entrepreneurs in Eskişehir.

TOBB Eskişehir KGK Continues Projects for the City's Economy

Elif Gürkaynak also spoke before the event, asserting that the committee would continue to work towards increasing the number of women entrepreneurs and women's employment in Eskişehir for the city's growth. She mentioned ongoing projects and initiatives that contribute to the local economy, concluding her remarks by wishing all women a happy International Women's Day.

The Role of Women in Turkish States Discussed

During the discussion, Prof. Dr. Zafer Koylu explained that they would evaluate the role of women in pre-Islamic Turkic societies, the post-Islamic period, and through the Seljuk, Ottoman, and Republican eras. Selin Söğütlügil stressed the significance of Atatürk's respect for women, stating that women became a focal point in the reforms initiated with the Republic.

Atatürk’s Reforms Were Based on Independence

Söğütlügil noted that the fundamental source of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's thoughts was independence, emphasizing that he aimed for independence in all fields, especially the economy. She highlighted how the value given to women increased with the Republic, serving as an inspiration for many countries. After the discussion, an exhibition featuring documents from the book "Documents of Eskişehir on the 130th Anniversary of ETO" was held, along with a networking event for women entrepreneurs and representatives of civil society organizations.