Let's Not Wait 118 Years For Gender Equality: Kagider

The Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGİDER) discussed gender equality in the aftermath of World Economic Forum held in Davos last week, and urged that data revealed during the forum forecasted up to 118 years to pass, in a bid to assure equality between genders.

The association held a breakfast event hosting Journalist – Author Meral Tamer, Head of KAGİDER Sanem Oktar, Cüneyd Zapsu Consultancy General Manager Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, where attendees of Davos meetings shared their observations with participants.

"According to the World Economic Forum data, gender equality will be merely be achieved after 118 years; let's not wait 118 years" said Sanem Oktar.

Meanwhile, only 18 percent of the Davos attendees were among women, noted the meeting's speakers.

NGOs should increase presence in Davos

"It was an honor to mark the one and only NGO from Turkey in Davos, while representing KAGİDER. We have discussed how to accelerate processes to assure gender equality" said Oktar. However, presence of Turkish NGOs should be increased, she urged.

Oktar has attended a meeting entitled "Women3The Power of Three" organized by the Ernst & Young (EY) company, which also was one of the supportive institutions to W20, where the association operated as Chair and Secretary.

Meral Tamer also commented that she has been attending to Davos meeting in the last 18 years, and every visit was a "pool of knowledge" to her:

"But the world was more predictable four – five years ago, when I was confident of having all the information in my pocket every time I returned from Davos. In the last years, uncertainties have grown."

Koç Holding Chair among "most influential 10 leaders"

One of the key topics in Davos agenda was the refugee problem, added Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu, commenting that "the numbers announced by Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek was fairly shocking for attendees in Davos".

NGOs in Turkey should increase their representation in Davos in a bid to convey the information gathered there to others.

The meeting has opened by commemorating of Koç Holding Chair Mustafa Koç who has recently died of heart attack. Sanem Oktar put an accent on Koç's works in the field of gender equality, which made him one of the "most influential 10 leaders in the world".

(Photo) - Istanbul