What is the project about?

She Lab is a pioneering leadership program launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with Boyner Group, focusing on sustainable development and gender equality. The project is designed to support young women in exploring and strengthening their leadership potential within the sustainability field. Anchored in the principles of gender equality and economic empowerment, She Lab serves as a capacity-building program aimed at enabling women to take on active roles in shaping a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future by promoting their participation in the labor force and decision-making mechanisms.

What is the situation?

While sustainability is becoming an increasingly global priority, women remain underrepresented in leadership roles in this field. In Türkiye, the female labor force participation rate stands at 34.1%, significantly below the global average of 48.5% (ILO, 2023). This highlights the presence of structural barriers that limit women’s access to economic life and leadership roles. The active participation of women in sustainable development processes is critical not only for individual empowerment but also for achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Advancing sustainable development and fostering social transformation requires greater visibility and engagement of women in social, economic, and political spheres.

What is our mission?

The core mission of She Lab is to equip young women with the knowledge and skills in sustainability, leadership, and digital competencies to help them take on active roles in their respective fields. The program aims to contribute to inclusive development by supporting both individual growth and collective impact. In addition, She Lab also features communication and awareness components designed to expand the visibility of sustainability and gender equality agendas to broader audiences.

How are we doing this?

She Lab is a holistic and evidence-based capacity-building program designed to strengthen young women’s leadership capacity in the field of sustainability. Implemented jointly by UNDP Türkiye and Boyner Group, the program offers a three-phase training model that integrates theoretical knowledge with practical experience: personal development, thematic knowledge and sectoral awareness, and project development. Participants access training through Boyner’s digital learning platform and engage in hands-on opportunities such as mentorship, internships, and fieldwork. The curriculum addresses timely topics such as artificial intelligence, active citizenship, gender equality, and digital/green transformation, delivered by UNDP experts and industry professionals. The She Talks events organized within the scope of the program serve not only as sources of inspiration for participants but also as strategic platforms for raising public awareness on sustainability and equality. The most successful projects are implemented through partnerships with Boyner Group and the private sector actors, enabling young women leaders to actively contribute to sustainable transformation.

How will Türkiye benefit?

She Lab contributes directly to Türkiye’s national priorities related to gender equality, youth employment, and sustainable development. By increasing women’s participation in economic life, the project expands the country’s growth potential and empowers young women to become solution-oriented contributors to social transformation processes. In the long term, the She Lab model aims to evolve into a scalable and innovative approach that lays the foundation for embedding an inclusive and sustainability-driven development mindset across Türkiye.