Emine Erdoğan participated in the "Turkey-Africa Women Leadership Dialogue Panel"

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan attended the "Turkey-Africa Women Leadership Dialogue Panel" within the scope of the 3rd Turkey-Africa Economic and Business Forum.

In her speech at the program organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and the African Union Commission (AUC) at the Istanbul Congress Center, Emine Erdoğan said that they will talk about the powerful changes that strong women will bring in the panel and that she hopes that the synergy that will emerge from here will accelerate the cooperation between women.

Emine Erdoğan noted that she was very pleased to attend the 3rd Turkey-Africa Economic and Business Forum right after her visits to Angola, Togo and Nigeria.

Reminding that this time they added Angola and Togo to the African countries they frequently visited after Turkey's "Africa opening" and that they had the opportunity to visit Nigeria again, Emine Erdoğan emphasized that they further strengthened the bridges of hearts.

Pointing out that Turkey, which has a presence in Africa with many institutions ranging from TIKA to AFAD, Maarif Foundation to Religious Affairs, has been carrying out many activities to support the development of Africa for many years, Emine Erdoğan said that she herself stands by every work done for the empowerment of women and girls in particular, and that they cooperate with the authorities and NGOs of African countries on this occasion.

"WE ARE IN FAVOR OF A FRATERNAL RELATIONSHIP BASED ON HUMAN LOVE"

During her visit to Angola, Emine Erdoğan said that during her visit to Angola, TIKA opened the information technology classroom and music room furnished by TIKA at Ranjel Women's Vocational Training Center, cooperated with the Angolan Ministry of Labor and Social Security and a non-governmental organization, and presented mobile stands where women can cook and sell local dishes to support women entrepreneurship.

Stating that they have taken an active role in empowering African women through numerous projects like this one, Emine Erdoğan said: "As you know, in the past, development was considered only within an economic framework. However, today we know that development is directly related to social and individual welfare. Therefore, for real development on both micro and macro scales, we need policies that will ensure political, economic and social changes. In other words, we need to consider education policies for women's employment and policies that will trigger social change to pave the way for education. At this point, I think global solidarity is very important. It is only through this solidarity that we can eliminate poverty, ensure gender justice, protect the environment and guarantee human rights."

Noting that the importance of women's role in development has become more widely recognized in recent years, Emine Erdoğan said: "Empowering women does not only contribute to economic growth. It also plays a role in raising future generations, increasing the quality of the population and building peaceful societies. Wherever they are, women whose status improves not only change their own societies, but also initiate an impact of goodness that spreads across their geography. To accelerate this process, we need roadmaps that support women in certain areas. Education, employment, visibility in decision-making mechanisms, digital transformation and the environment are at the top of the list."

Stating that bilateral trade and economic relations with Africa have come a long way, especially after the "Africa opening", Emine Erdoğan said, "The fact that we are moving forward with an approach where both sides win equally, not just one side, is the work of my country's humanitarian foreign policy. Among many definitions of power, Turkey's positioning as a 'compassionate power' expresses that we always keep people at the center of our efforts. Africa has a very special place for us. We are in favor of a brotherhood based on human love."

"THE RAPID INCREASE IN WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AFRICA IN RECENT YEARS IS EXTREMELY GRATIFYING"

Describing Africa as "an unlimited potential" and "the shining star of the 21st century" with a population of approximately 1.3 billion and a diversity of over 2,000 languages and ethnic groups, Emine Erdoğan expressed her feelings and thoughts about the continent as follows "Africa has unfortunately faced the most difficult tests in human history. It is undeniable that this past has had negative effects on the continent's development. However, all this experience also brings us the very special people of Africa who inspire the whole world. Many African activists and role models are influencing the whole world. Despite all kinds of obstacles, African women are symbols of strength, intelligence and perseverance. In my many years of traveling in Africa, I have witnessed that African women are the hidden heroes. First and foremost, African women have a great contribution to the economy. Across the continent, 70 percent of the agricultural sector is run by women. Women are responsible for 90 percent of food production. Of course, it should not be forgotten that Africa is a big continent with dozens of countries. The social fabric, economic indicators and the situation of women vary from country to country. In general, we see that African women are active actors in politics. For example, 60 percent of the Rwandan parliament is made up of women, the highest rate in the world. In addition, the rapid increase in women entrepreneurship in Africa in recent years is very pleasing. Considering all these, I believe that Turkish and African women leaders can find many common grounds to share their knowledge and experiences."

"WOMEN NEED TO BE PRODUCERS OF TECHNOLOGY, NOT CONSUMERS"

Stating that she would like to draw attention to a particular issue in her speech, Emine Erdoğan reminded that almost two years have been left behind in the Covid-19 pandemic and said: "Unfortunately, our century has been the stage of one of the biggest disasters in the history of the world. The pandemic has had devastating effects, disrupting many areas of life. But at the same time, it accelerated digital transformation. I believe that women leaders should focus on this area in particular. Women need to be producers of technology, not consumers. We need to sustainably increase girls' interest in science and technology. The fact that women are the actors shaping digital transformation will determine what kind of world we will live in today and in the future. For all these reasons, women leaders have a great responsibility. Our priority should be to hold the hands of young women who are eager to walk on the path you have paved and to be their mentors. I sincerely believe that African and Turkish women leaders will establish exemplary collaborations in this regard."

Emine Erdoğan stated that the African Handicrafts Market and Culture House, which they established in Ankara in 2016, is an area of activity where they will strengthen their solidarity. Emine Erdoğan called for strengthening this center, which was established with the understanding of a fair market for African women, and building both economic and cultural bridges.

Emine Erdoğan added that she was pleased to be with successful women whose high energy and vision they benefit from.

Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, wife of Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, thanked Emine Erdoğan and said that they shared many values with her, especially on women's rights.

Stating that there are already trade relations between Turkey, other African countries and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tshisekedi said that these relations should be strengthened and increased, and that women have an important role in this respect and that they should fully fulfill this role.

Emphasizing that women's leadership is the key to the development of their countries, Tshisekedi said, "Therefore, we women need to remove all obstacles to women's leadership. One of these obstacles is access to education, access to finance. Even the exposure of women to various forms of violence. So we need to increase such frameworks. We need to increase the environments, the contexts where we can build dialog, where we can operate, where we can share success stories. This is how we support women's leadership. We can ensure women's advancement in business and political life. In Africa, the African Continental Free Trade Area was recently established. This market is an opportunity for the entrepreneurial women of the world."

During the panel, a video of Emine Erdoğan's book "My Travels to Africa", which includes excerpts from her travels to Africa and her impressions and memories from these trips, was screened. Following the speeches, Trade Minister Mehmet Muş and DEIK President Nail Olpak presented Emine Erdoğan with an "Epic Board".

Emine Erdoğan presented the artwork titled "Vase of Promise" to Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, wife of President Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Afterwards, Emine Erdoğan, Tshisekedi and her entourage took a souvenir photo.

22.10.2021