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Box 6.2. Women’s entrepreneurship in Turkey
In the Southeast Anatolia region of Turkey, women’s role in economic development has been limited. Women face socio-cultural barriers, such as patriarchal
attitudes and low self-confidence in the business arena. These women have also had insufficient technical, managerial, and capacity development support.
To address these constraints while also promoting economic activity in the region, the Women’s Entrepreneurship Programme has assisted women with the
start-up of new businesses and the expansion of business development services since 2008. The programme has successfully boosted women’s involvement
in economic activity in the region.
The programme’s activities have included outreach to raise gender awareness, mentoring, training, regional study tours, and research on the needs of female
entrepreneurs. The programme has enabled the provision of business development services related to marketing, sales, finance, quality standards, foreign
trade, and the development of business plans and project grant proposals. More than 1,200 women entrepreneurs have received critical information regarding
access to finance, state incentives, legislation, project finance, and feasibility studies. The programme has fostered public-private partnerships in providing
enterprise training and internships to women entrepreneurs; the partners include public institutions and universities, private businesses, business associations,
and women’s NGOs.
recovery include crisis-affected communities, community-based organizations, civil society
organizations, local government bodies, government line ministries and agencies that are
responsible for livelihoods and economic development, businesses, and private sector
associations. The effectiveness and sustainability of interventions depends on ownership
by participants. With sufficient support for developing the capacities and confidence of
participating individuals and communities, such interventions can play important roles in
implementation, e.g., through community contracting, participatory monitoring, resource
mobilization, and advocacy with local authorities. Government ownership helps to increase
accountability and raises possibilities for cost sharing. Coordination with other projects
and programmes that have a bearing on gender equality and women’s empowerment
in the context of livelihoods and economic recovery are crucial. The private sector can
contribute importantly through corporate social responsibilities initiatives and the leadership
of an inclusive, gender-sensitive business development process.
For additional information, please see discussion paper 29. Gender Equality and
Women’s Economic Empowerment in Annex.
6.2 Youth Employment
6.2.1 Introduction
In many countries, youth comprise the majority of the population and the largest number
of job seekers. These young individuals have enormous potential vis-à-vis contributing
to social and economic recovery. In settings of high unemployment, however, these
individuals are especially vulnerable. A lack of productive work for youth creates idleness
and frustration, potentially leading to their involvement in activities that place them and
their communities at risk.
Training gaps, regulatory and policy obstacles, or poor access to livelihood assets are
factors that contribute to youth unemployment and underemployment. Some academic
and technical institutions prepare graduates for employment in the formal sector only,
with little attention to self-employment, and some institutions are poorly linked to labour
market demand. Lengthy procedures and high fees for registration and licenses,
excessive reporting requirements, and heavy taxation may deter youth from pursuing
business opportunities. The access by these young people to essential inputs—such as
start-up capital, raw materials, machinery, equipment, and information—may be limited.
References and suggested further reading:
Gender equality and women’s economic
empowerment
• Alexander, Patricia. 2008. Investing in Gender
Equality: Global Evidence and the Asia-Pacific
Setting. UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo.
Discussion Paper.
• Lawson, S. 2008. Women Hold Up Half the
Sky. Goldman Sachs Global Economics Paper
No. 164. The Goldman Sachs Group.
• Stotsky, Janet G. 2006. Gender and its
Relevance to Macroeconomic Policy: A Survey.
International Monetary Fund Working Paper
No. 06/233. Washington, D.C.: International
Monetary Fund.
• Swain, Ranjula Bali, and Wallentin, Fan Yang.
“Empowering Women Through Microfinance:
Evidence from India.” In Poverty in Focus. Number
13, pp.20-21. January 2008. International
Poverty Centre.
• UNDP. Eight Point Agenda for Women’s Empowerment
and Gender Equality in Crisis Prevention
and Recovery Implementation Toolkit. Draft.
• UNDP. Empowered and Equal: The Gender
Equality Strategy (2008-2011). 2008.
• UNDP. Innovative Approaches to Promoting
Women’s Economic Empowerment. Paper
for the partnership event on September
25, 2008: MDG3 – Gender Equality and
Empowerment of Women – A Prerequisite for
Achieving all MDGs by 2015. 2008.
• Women’s Commission for Refugee Women
and Children. Beyond Firewood: Fuel Alternatives
and Protection Strategies for Displaced
Women and Girls. March 2006.
• Women’s Refugee Commission. Peril or
Protection: The Link between Livelihoods and
Gender-based Violence in Displacement Settings.
November 2009.
Livelihoods & Economic Recovery in Crisis Situations