KAGİDER brings women entrepreneurs’ green-transition priorities to UNGA81

What happened

Türkiye Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGİDER) took proposals on women-led businesses to New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly high-level week. Its president, Esra Bezircioğlu, and vice-president, Şila Gök, participated in international meetings, according to EkoIQ.

The association focused on improving participation by women entrepreneurs in corporate buying processes, alongside access to capital and additional markets. It also argued that they should have a stronger place in the shift towards a lower-carbon economy.

At a UN Global Compact solution session on gender-responsive procurement, KAGİDER presented its Entrepreneurship and Procurement Meeting approach. The previous meeting connected 194 women entrepreneurs with 75 purchasing professionals and led to more than 1,000 one-to-one discussions.

At the COP31 Business Forum New York Dialogue, KAGİDER called for women entrepreneurs to be reflected in climate-policy decisions, for stronger financing access, and for more openings in green supply chains.

The immediate next step for prospective participants is KAGİDER’s planned Entrepreneurship and Procurement Meeting in Istanbul on 21 October.

Why it matters

The New York discussions brought procurement, finance, market access and climate action into a single agenda for women-led businesses. KAGİDER’s meeting format offers a practical mechanism for direct contact between entrepreneurs and corporate purchasing teams.

Its intervention at the COP31 Business Forum dialogue also places women entrepreneurs within business-facing climate discussions, particularly around financing and green supply-chain opportunities. This links inclusion measures with the commercial changes associated with the green transition.

KAGİDER is also preparing a study entitled Climate Change and Women’s Entrepreneurship: Risks, Opportunities and Policy Recommendations. It will examine climate-related threats and potential opportunities in sectors where women entrepreneurs are concentrated.

What to watch

The forthcoming study is expected to address climate technologies, artificial intelligence and the transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises. Its findings may provide further detail on the risks and opportunities KAGİDER identified in its New York engagements.

For companies seeking more inclusive sourcing, the Istanbul meeting will be the next indicated opportunity to engage with KAGİDER’s procurement-network model.