Sample Project for Young Women Employment from USKD

The “Young Women Protecting Their Cultural Heritage in Sustainable Development” project, prepared by the International Association of Women in Sustainable Development (USKD) with the contributions of Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Business Administration, Yaşar University, Yaşar University Women and Family Research Center (YUKAM) and Women Directors Association, was introduced with a launch meeting.

At the project launch meeting hosted by USKD Board of Directors Chairwoman Ayla Alkan, Project Advisor Fatih Şahin, NEET Speaker Özge Dinçtopal, Women Directors Association Chairwoman Gülten Taranç, DEÜ Business School Civil Society Relations Coordinator Lecturer Meltem Kolday, Yaşar University Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center Director – Prof. Dr. Huriye Toker, İzmir Provincial Civil Society Relations Director – Turgay Esen, İzmir Painting and Sculpture Museum Director Ayşe Füruzan Caman, Ankara Social Sciences University Culture and Civilization Application and Research Center Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Doğrucan shared their views on the work to be done.

Speaking at the meeting held at the Izmir Culture and Arts Factory, USKD Board of Directors Chairwoman Ayla Alkan said, “With our project approved by the General Directorate of Civil Society Relations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we aim to bring young women into the employment process in line with sustainable development goals and to carry the cultural values ​​and richness of the city to future generations.”

EMPLOYMENT WILL INCREASE, CITY VALUES WILL BE PROTECTED

Providing information about the project that will increase women's employment and protect the city's values, Alkan said, “This project is not only an important step to protect and promote the unique cultural richness of Izmir, but also offers a platform that will enable young women to gain a stronger place in social life. Our project will be carried out with women participants between the ages of 19 and 29 who are neither in education, training nor employment (NEET), and 5 young women members of USKD will carry out the project with them. Throughout the project, which will be completed in a period of 1 year, NEET young women will receive training from expert trainers in various areas such as social media use, content production, storytelling, editing, photography and video preparation. In this way, they will not only develop their personal skills, but also effectively tell the cultural values ​​of Izmir in the digital world and contribute to the protection of these values. Thus, they will also gain competence in the field of employment, and the training they receive in the project and the certificate we will issue at the end will also contribute to their job search processes.”

THE RATE OF NEET WOMEN BETWEEN 18 AND 29 YEARS IS 50 PERCENT

According to TÜİK data, while the number of young people between the ages of 18-29 who are neither in education nor employment (NEET) in Turkey is 5.298.000, the number of NEET women in this age group is 3.554.000, Ayla Alkan drew attention to the fact that, “The rate of NEET young people between the ages of 18-29 in our country is 34,7%. While the rate of NEET women in the 18-29 age group in Turkey is 50,5%, this rate is 24,4% for men in the same age group. This data shows that one out of every two women between the ages of 18-29 in Turkey is in the NEET class. It is estimated that the number of women between the ages of 15-24 who have graduated from vocational and technical education institutions in the last 2 years who have given up looking for a job has exceeded 1 million. Again, statistics reveal that there is a 16-point difference between the rates (percentages) of being in the NEET group between women and men. “We prepared our project with a perspective that will pave the way for NEET women, ensure their direct participation in social life and the economy, and contribute to the development of their employment skills suitable for the digital age,” she said.

WOMEN WILL BE POWERFUL NARRATORS OF CULTURAL VALUES

USKD Board Chairwoman Ayla Alkan said, “Each woman will prepare a video that will tell about a cultural value, a historical place, a traditional handicraft or a unique lifestyle specific to Izmir that they have chosen according to their own interests. These videos will shed light on the future as important digital documents that will introduce both our city and our culture to the world. At the end of our project, the projects that win will be awarded and the winners will make their voices heard as the strongest narrators of Izmir’s cultural values. In addition, the videos that win in the project will increase awareness of Izmir’s cultural values ​​and ensure that these values ​​are kept alive for generations. In this context, our project represents a very important collaboration that aims to both strengthen our women in social life and protect our cultural heritage. It will also make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of Izmir.”

WE WILL ALL TAKE CARE OF IZMIR'S CULTURE

Alkan, who also emphasized that they are very excited to work together to create a society that embraces the culture of Izmir and tells this culture to the world, continued his words as follows: “Carrying the 8-year-old story of Izmir to the future, opening new horizons for the lives of our young women who are neither in education, nor in training, nor in employment, and leading a very new business women's association to take its first steps towards sustainability will be the most important values ​​we will leave to the future on USKD's journey. Today, we are realizing a project that serves many articles of the Sustainable Development Goals; most importantly, we are all taking a step together towards the goal of Article 500: partnerships for goals. We would also like to thank 17 Eylül University English Business Faculty, Yaşar University and Yaşar University Women and Family Research Center (YUKAM) and Women Directors Association for believing in us, trusting us and adding value to our project by being partners with us on this path.”