Top businesswoman details measures against crisis

Dynamic, project-orientated, analytical and highly driven, was how the chair of the Turkish Businesswomen’s Association, or TİKAD, described many of the leading women of the Turkish business world and members of the group.

The association members are well-known, highly active and very successful, according to TİKAD Chairwoman Nilüfer Bulut. The number of women who own their own businesses or hold high-ranking executive positions in corporations is just 6 percent in Turkey, Bulut told Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. This not-so-reassuring figure is indicative of the long road capable and talented businesswomen have had to tread.

In addition to the challenges of climbing through glass ceilings and breaking barriers, TİKAD members have also felt the pressure of the current global economic crisis. "Investments have been reduced due to the decrease in liquidity.

Several companies have had to downsize and return to their core businesses. The psychological effect on TİKAD members also must not be underestimated," said Bulut.

Bulut, whose family was engaged in the packaging industry, founded the company ANK, which is involved with strategy, research and investment at an international level. Replying to a question on young Turkish men and women who often exaggerated their own talents when applying for a job, Bulut pointed out that it was a problem all over the world, as young people skilled and unskilled were worried about finding a job, particularly during an economic downturn.

Bulut and TİKAD members have met with Deputy Prime Minister Nazım Ekren to request assistance from the government for women trying to deal with the crisis. "Our meeting with Ekren provided a solid platform on which we can hopefully continue to improve the conditions for members of TİKAD and of course all the other business people," she said.

During the meeting with Ekren, businesswomen presented the minister with a series of proposals they believed would considerably help deal with the economic crisis. In meeting with the minister, Bulut underlined that the economy has been recovering from a difficult period and stressed that all companies were aiming to get out of this period without damage. "However, the latest crisis has revealed that quite a few companies don’t have the crisis management and culture needed, which is especially revealed by the measures SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) are taking through firings, stopping investments and contracting in capacity," she said. "Consultancy services have to be offered to SMEs free of charge on crisis management and crisis period strategies."

Domestic market
Pointing out that recent figures showed Turkey could benefit from increased domestic demand in the struggle with unemployment, she said: "Our nation has a large domestic market that can be counted as follows: It is number three in Europe in iron and steel, number seven in automotive production, second in the world in flat glass, fifth in jewelry, sixth in cement and eighth in ship manufacturing. During crises, we should turn these to our advantage."

Bulut also conveyed some other proposals to the government in the meeting. One suggestion was that the Central Bank must continue to give priority to growth and prepare a positive ground for companies that are having financing difficulties and cost constraints. She also said financial policy must be relaxed and infrastructure investments should be undertaken in the long term. In the short term, one-time bonuses to public sector workers and the retired could be provided to stimulate demand.

She also noted that taxes were a key leg of financial policy. "Some reductions and installment payments should be provided. Percentages have to be reduced and the form of payment be spread over a time period," she said.

Bulut also suggested measures be immediately taken to create incentives for real production rather than highly speculative profit centers. These should not involve policies indexed to the International Monetary Fund, or IMF.

"The constant talk of crisis must be put to an end immediately or it will be even worse, increasing psychological pressure," she said. "Basically, the crisis has been positive for government employees, corporate workers, professionals and people on fixed incomes because prices of consumer goods have fallen, but their incomes have not. However, they are unaware of this. The government should talk correctly about the crisis with a large campaign organized with all the NGOs."

The future of TİKAD
This month, TIKAD will restore a museum building at Topkapı Palace and exhibit valuable historical items that were in storage. Together with other programs around the world, the organization will start the "Mothers Fighting for Peace" project, which will look at war from a female perspective. As for the future for women in Turkey, Bulut said: "I think that the future for Turkish businesswomen is bright if they are judged on ability, not their sex. I am against positive discrimination; I would prefer a system based solely on talent."

The Turkish Businesswomen’s Association, or TİKAD, was established in 2004. It is working to ensure the status of businesswomen in the business world in line with universal principles of democracy and human rights and respect for freedom of thought. It aims to strengthen the role of businesswomen in the Turkish economy.

Prominent TİKAD members include Demet Sabancı Çetindoğan, Sema Güral Sürmeli, Zehra Neşe Kavak, Hülya Avşar, Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, Vuslat Doğan Sabancı and Semahat Arsel.