The “Grant Support Project for Women Employers in Earthquake”, carried out in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Kahramanmaraş Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KMTSO), and worth 500 thousand dollars, was organized by UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Louisa Vinton and KMTSO Deputy Chairman Hikmet Gümüşer, in Kahramanmaraş. It was announced in a meeting attended by female employers in Turkey. The joint venture, which is part of the early recovery activities for businesses damaged by the earthquake, will provide financial support to female employers in Kahramanmaraş who are trying to restore their businesses. Vinton: We aim to start a supply-demand cycle Speaking at the meeting, UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Louisa Vinton said, “Earthquakes have been very devastating for small businesses in Turkey; “220,000 businesses were completely destroyed in the seven most affected provinces,” he said. “By providing lifeline to women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses, we aim to not only restore individuals’ livelihoods but also initiate a virtuous supply-demand cycle that will encourage a return to the region,” said Vinton. KMTSO Deputy Chairman Hikmet Gümüşer said, “As the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we have tried to listen to the problems of our employers. The first of these problems is the problem of financing. In order to benefit from the grant program, female employers must absolutely continue their work. In other words, female employers whose workplace has been destroyed and will not continue cannot apply to this project.” Noting that they organized the grant support as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and realized with the funds of the United Nations, Gümüşer said, “UNDP will evaluate the applications. Application forms must be filled in very well. We have created a table in our room for this and it will be active until June 30th. We would like to thank UNDP, Ms. Louisa Vinton, who supported us in the project”. KMTSO made a damage assessment Kahramanmaraş Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted a study on the determination of the damage status of the businesses of 355 women entrepreneurs who were damaged by the earthquake. Study; revealed that an average business suffered a loss of 1 million 395 thousand 769 TL. While 38 percent of these enterprises are heavily damaged or destroyed, 7.32% are moderately damaged, 46.20 percent are slightly damaged, and 8.45 percent are undamaged. In the study, the rate of women entrepreneurs who had health problems or lost a limb due to the earthquake was determined as 3.66 percent. The grant amount will be between 10 thousand and 300 thousand TL. Women who had an active business registered in Kahramanmaraş before the first earthquake occurred on 6 February 2023 will be able to benefit from the grant program. A total of 11 million TL (500 thousand USD) will be allocated in the program, and the individual grant amount will be between 10 thousand and 300 thousand TL for projects that will last from 1 to 6 months. Establishment of prefabricated or container workplaces among the activities to be eligible for the grant; workplace modification, repair and restoration; IT software, furniture, machinery and equipment, and material procurement. Priority will be given to businesses with three or more employees, projects for purchasing machinery and equipment for production, and businesses owned or partnered by women who have become disabled due to earthquakes.
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