Representatives from government, the private sector, civil society, academia, and international organizations came together at the international conference titled “Women’s Empowerment in Industry: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures.”

18 September 2025, Istanbul – The Developing Women Empowerment Models in the Manufacturing Industry Project, carried out to accelerate the green and digital transformation and increase women’s representation in Türkiye’s manufacturing sector, brought together representatives from different countries and sectors at the international conference “Women’s Empowerment in Industry: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures,” held in Istanbul on 18–19 September 2025.

The project, implemented in partnership with the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Ministry of Industry and Technology, with €8.5 million in support from the European Union, aims to enable women from engineering and science fields to specialize in digitalization and sustainability, so they can take an active and visible role in shaping the future of industry.

Within the project, implemented across nine pilot provinces - Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli, Manisa, and Tekirdağ - 300 women graduates from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, who received four months of specialized training in digitalization and sustainability, were employed as “change agents” in manufacturing companies. In addition, 300 women selected from among blue-collar workers also received similar training and contributed as “operators” to companies’ digital and green transformation processes. The trainings were conducted at MEXT Technology Center, Türkiye’s first and largest center for digital and green transformation. The women “change agents” and “operators” were further empowered throughout this process with the advisory support of 100 mentors.

Within the project, the seminars organized for women “change agents,” “operators,” and companies promoted an equitable workplace culture and supported the cultural transformation needed to increase women’s employment in industry.

More than 50 informational meetings were held, attended by over 500 institutions and organizations active in the manufacturing sector. Through these meetings, over 1,000 representatives were reached. Nearly 2,000 women applied for the “change agent” positions, while approximately 500 applied for the “operator” positions. Among nearly 400 applicant companies, 100 were selected to undergo digital and sustainability maturity assessments (SIRI and COSIRI), roadmaps were prepared for them, and the employment of trained personnel contributed to their green and digital transformation processes.

International conference brought together over 300 representatives for inclusive transformation in manufacturing

The international conference held at the MEXT Technology Center in Istanbul was one of the key activities of the project. Bringing together more than 300 representatives from government, the private sector, civil society, academia, and international organizations, the event served as a platform to strengthen policy dialogue, share good practices, and pave the way for new partnerships.

Opening his speech at the conference by expressing his belief that this gathering would shed light on Türkiye’s development vision, TİSK President Özgür Burak Akkol stated that a strong and dynamic manufacturing industry is the most powerful source of productive employment.

Akkol stated: “Every investment in the manufacturing industry accelerates the entire economy. From an employment perspective, every job created in manufacturing corresponds to three jobs created nationwide. The data clearly show that a strong and dynamic manufacturing industry remains the most powerful source of productive employment. It is therefore crucial that industrial and employment policies are shaped with this holistic perspective. Our project exemplifies exactly this comprehensive approach. We address digital transformation, green transformation, and social transformation within the same framework. Through our project, we aim to create new jobs that strengthen women’s roles in the industry while transforming our manufacturing sector.”

Emphasizing that UNDP has been a trusted partner of Türkiye for more than 50 years, UNDP Türkiye Deputy Resident Representative Miodrag Dragisic said: “For UNDP, women’s empowerment is one of the key drivers of sustainable progress. Our project is about opening pathways for women - on the factory floor, in STEM, and in leadership - so they can shape today’s industry and tomorrow’s green and digital future. But we aim higher. These models must scale across Türkiye and beyond. Together, let us prove that women’s empowerment in industry is not aspiration but reality. Together, let us build a future of inclusive and sustainable growth.”

“Today, as economies move through the twin transitions to green and digital, inclusion is no longer optional. When women join the digital and manufacturing sectors, productivity rises, resilience grows, and innovation accelerates,” said Maria-Louisa Wyganowski, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Türkiye. “This project is a model. It sets an example showing how women’s talent and leadership can transform even the most traditional sectors of our economy.”

Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Türkiye, Muhammet Kasım Gönüllü, stated: “With the Competitive Sectors Programme, which we have been implementing since 2007 with co-financing from our country and the European Union, we aim to enhance the competitiveness of our economy and reduce socio-economic disparities between regions. The ‘Developing Women Empowerment Models in the Manufacturing Industry Project’ is one of the most valuable outcomes of this programme. Through this project, we aim to enable women to acquire the skills required for digital and green transformation and assume stronger and more sustainable roles in the manufacturing sector, both in white-collar and blue-collar positions.” 

During the two-day conference, discussions focused on themes such as the contribution of digital and green transformation to equality between women and men, inclusive financing mechanisms, women’s leadership in industry, women’s empowerment through skills development, and cross-country exchange of experiences. Speakers from different sectors, countries, and fields of expertise came together with policymakers, industry representatives, and civil society actors to evaluate concrete solutions for inclusive transformation in the manufacturing sector and contributed to the development of roadmaps towards this goal.