“Women and Climate Change Nexus” Conference Held in collaboration with TSKB, AFD and the Consulate General of France in Istanbul
The 6th conference on women's employment which has been held every year at Palais de France in cooperation with TSKB, AFD and the Consulate General of France in Istanbul was held online this year under the theme "Women and Climate Change Nexus". The conference included a panel on “Change Makers for an Inclusive Green Transformation” and Visual Artist Deniz Sağdıç as the guest speaker and hosted senior executives of various institutions.
Industrial Development Bank of Turkey (TSKB), the French Development Agency (AFD) and the Consulate General of France in Istanbul cooperated for the 6th conference on women's employment which has been held every year on the week of the International Women's Day. This year, the conference was held on Thursday, March 3 under the theme “Women and Climate Change Nexus”
The opening speeches of the conference were delivered by Olivier Gauvin, Consul General of France in Istanbul; Tanguy Denieul, AFD Group Director in Turkey, and Ece Börü, TSKB CEO. TSKB Chief Economist Burcu Ünüvar moderated the panel titled “Change Makers for an Inclusive Green Transformation” held after the presentation titled “Addressing Gender Inequalities in the Context of Climate Change ” by TSKB Economic Research Manager Cihan Urhan. Throughout the panel, AFD Gender Equality Expert Mar Merita Blat, Turkcell Academy Director Rümeysa Kaymakçı, WWF Group Head of Corporate Communications Neyran Akyıldız and Meltem Kimya Vice Chairman of the Management Board Turan Şahin shared information and experience on women's employment and practices to combat against climate change in their organizations. At the closing of the conference, Visual Artist Deniz Sağdıç delivered an inspiring speech titled “Sustainability and Art”.
Ece Börü: “Women's power needs to be integrated into production and accepted as one of the levers of green transformation”
During the opening speech of the conference, TSKB CEO Ece Börü stated that green transformation will be further accelerated with the active participation of women in education, production, social life and decision-making mechanisms and said “The COVID-19 has shown us how difficult it is for the economies across the world to fight a sudden global crisis. We must come out of this challenge by learning, because we started hearing the steps of the climate crisis which could cause much greater economic damage. It is a fact that risks arising from the climate change will cause loss of workforce in many sectors and women will be affected the most. More than 90 percent of the migration movements in the world in 2020 caused by floods and storms. These migration movements also lead to amass labor mobility. We are simultaneously going through a very rapid digitalization process that has gained momentum with the pandemic. It would be a great loss for the entire world if women cannot access the labor market due to digital competency and skill mismatch when brand new business lines are emerging. This is exactly why we should expand the definition of “green transformation” to “an inclusive green transformation powered by digitalization”. Because they all need to be achieved together for the sustainability of our world.”
Underlining that the financial sector was one of the most critical players in this transformation, Börü said: “We believe that especially development finance practices should be carefully monitored in order to reduce the increasing inequalities caused by the climate crisis. We, as TSKB, are happy to make a concrete contribution to the employment of women and the establishment of women-friendly working environments in the companies, thanks to the loan models which we have developed with our valuable business partners AFD and the World Bank. These companies, which we also develop green and sustainable projects, are good examples of the synergetic interaction between the Sustainable Development Goals. In an environment where global problems associated with the climate change, including pandemics, will increase, and while common goals point to a maximum of 30 years ahead, we have to find solutions as soon as possible. In order for women's power to be integrated into production and accepted as one of the levers of transformation, we must start implementing the necessary steps quickly by establishing effective collaborations.”
Tanguy Denieul: “Women are the key stakeholders in climate projects”
Speaking at the opening of the conference, AFD Group Director in Turkey Tanguy Denieul said "Women are the key stakeholders in climate projects and AFD engages in dialogue with its partners in all of its financing operations to ensure that the fight against climate change and the fight for equality are never separated”.
Olivier Gauvin: “The inclusion of women and girls in climate action is essential, as they are the first to be affected by the climate crisis”
Delivering the first opening speech of the conference, Olivier Gauvin, Consul General of France in Istanbul, said “The inclusion of women and girls in climate action is essential, as they are the first to be affected by the climate crisis.This conference is an opportunity to share experiences in the perspective of a greener and more inclusive economy and it perfectly illustrates the cooperation between TSKB and AFD, supported by the French Embassy in Turkey and the Consulate General of France in Istanbul. I am very happy to participate in this event”.
