With the purpose of supporting low income women to initiate their own businesses with small capitals, more than 160 thousand women used 675 million TL in the last 15 years.

With the purpose of supporting low income women to initiate their own businesses with small capitals, more than 160 thousand women used 675 million TL in the last 15 years, and about 50 percent of this amount was transferred to the women entrepreneurs in the eastern region of Turkey.

While there is a consensus on the necessity for the poverty to be overcome in order to ensure sustainable development in the world, establishment of balance in the employment market and the participation of women in the labour force are increasingly important.

While many studies have been carried out for the participation of women in the labour force, which will play an important role in realizing the aim of Turkey to be among the leading economies of the world, particularly the government, associations and non-governmental organizations, have also been developing various incentive mechanisms.

In this context, the Turkish Grameen Microfinance Program (TGMP) which has been carried out within the framework of the Turkish Foundation for Waste Reduction (TİSVA), is running microcredit activities in order to reduce the financial burden and enable the poor to reach a small capital in Turkey.

Grameen Bank founded by Prof. Dr. Muhammed Yunus, who is the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the pioneer of the microcredit program, in order to contribute to the reduction of poverty provides a completely trust-based microcredit to ensure income-generating activities for the low-income women without the need for collateral or bailing.

Microcredit is heavily demanded by women in the eastern region

According to the information obtained from TİSVA, Turkey Grameen Microfinance Program, which has been functioning in 67 provinces and 98 branches throughout Turkey, has reached more than 160 low-income women and distributed 675 million TL microcredit since 2003. Nearly 50 percent of this amount was transferred to the entrepreneurs with low income who live in the eastern provinces.

“Microcredit has the understanding of ‘The less you have, the more priorities you have’

TISVA Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Aziz Akgül expressed to the AA correspondent, "Instead of giving grants to those who are capable of working, it is necessary to provide income-generating activities by giving them microcredit to contribute to bringing them above the poverty line."

Akgül stated that "More than 20 poor women are currently waiting to get microcredit to found or improve their own business, and if funding increases, it is foreseen to reach all the poor women who have business ideas in Turkey."