It is important for women to inspire other women and overcome obstacles, whether they are social or economic. To honor inspiring women in Turkey, the Türkiye'ye Enerji Veren Kadınlar (Women Empowering Turkey) Award Ceremony was held on March 6 at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress Center in Istanbul with the participation of first lady Emine Erdoğan and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak.
In their speeches, both Erdoğan and Albayrak spoke of the importance of women in society and how for a country women's power is essential to prosper and move forward. Erdoğan said men and women complete each other and it is impossible to think of politics, the economy or bureaucracy without women's influence. While Albayrak gave examples of women's impact on Turkic history, he also called on all women to follow their dreams.
Following the opening speeches, women who inspire and empower Turkey who were selected by a jury of respected and successful figures received awards. Here are the women who have empowered Turkey and inspired many girls and women:
Zümran ÖmürZümran Ömür's story started with a dream and an idea. Living in the eastern province of Kars's village of Boğatepe, Ömür wanted women in rural regions to play and active role in society instead of staying at home. In 2007, Ömür founded Boğatepe Association of Environment and Life and brought the women of the village together to collect and prepare native plants in the region for medicinal purposes. In a very short time, Ömür turned into a social media phenomenon with a video of her speaking both French in Turkish to a tourist group. It inspired the village women as well as those around Anatolia. She became an embodiment of women who have a voice as a family member who makes decisions with their husbands rather than waiting for dictates from their spouses. For her achievements, Ömür received the Entrepreneur of the Year award. Associate professor Selmİye Alkan GürselEnergy is one of the most important things in the modern world and anything that helps people use energy more efficiently is crucial. In this sense, the work of associate professor Selmiye Alkan Gürsel bears great significance. Gürsel, of Sabancı University's Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, focuses on clean energy and fuel cells, which are more efficient than the lithium ion batteries used in modern electric cars and smartphone batteries. Gürsel received the Academy Award for her studies.Professor Nevİn SelçukProfessor Nevin Selçuk of Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) is known for her research in chemical engineering. Selçuk received her Business World award for her contribution to Park Termik, which is a thermal power plant that turns lignite coal into energy in the most efficient way possible. Rahİme MeydanIt does not matter whether one lives in a big city or just a small Anatolian city to be successful. Having graduated from Ankara University's Faculty of Agriculture, Rahime Meydan entered the business world in 2002. She began to work at Aksa Energy in 2010, and is currently working as the manager of natural gas distribution for Gümüşhane and Bayburt. What makes Meydan stand out is her love of social responsibility projects and her desire to reach all of her customers. Meydan received the Professional award for her success in the business world as well as her social responsibility projects.