Supported by the European Union (EU) and the Turkish National Agency and carried out under the coordination of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), a Multiplier Activity Program was organized within the scope of the "BasicEDU-Model Development for the Strengthening of Disadvantaged Women's Competencies through Basic Education" project, and experts in the field participated.

Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Selim Eren and Prof. Dr. Cengiz Batuk, Samsun Bar Association President Pınar Gürsel Yıldıran, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration (KOSGEB) President Nebahat Livaoğlu, BasicEDU Project Coordinator Dr. Senem Gürkan, Head of Health Culture Sports Department Güngör Kural, academics, administrative staff, and many students attended the program held at Atatürk Congress and Culture Centre.

The project aims to ensure more effective integration of disadvantaged women in the rural areas of the EU into the labor market.

In addition, the project aims to strengthen the vocational opportunities of disadvantaged women living in rural areas by facilitating their access to the labor market, to establish mentoring and empowerment relations between disadvantaged women and local and regional opportunities, and to develop a special skill assessment process methodology for the special needs of disadvantaged women in rural areas.

Prof. Dr. Eren: "Our project mediates the transfer of knowledge to the University."

Speaking at the event's opening, Vice Rector Eren said, "Universities have the function of producing knowledge and experience. In addition to this duty, they also have the responsibility of maintaining relations with society and evaluating the feedback from them. Therefore, our project, coordinated by mentors, is both a valuable work in terms of contribution to society and mediating in the transfer of information to the University of all kinds of social phenomena related to the change, transformation, and demands in society. I thank all our employees who contributed to the project, especially our female academics."

"Every success, every project gives us excitement."

Stating that he knows how difficult such long-term studies are, as someone who has managed national and international projects in the past, Vice Rector Eren said, "Bringing together such knowledge and academic experience should be provided by faculty members. OMU stands out as an institution that has come a long way in knowledge production and research and development (R&D) studies in Samsun and our region. Today, we have another project that is under preparation to be signed with the Provincial Directorate of National Education. We will do this project with many institutions, from Kilis to Rize. In addition, this year, as OMU, we will organize the International Foreign Student Exam (YÖS) of 17 universities. By increasing these achievements, we want to carry the point our University has reached even further. While walking on this path, every success, every project gives us excitement and increases our motivation."

Dr. Gürkan: "We examined the phenomena of women, employment, and entrepreneurship from different dimensions."

BasicEDU Project Coordinator Dr. Senem Gürkan said, "We have come together to deal with the different dimensions of women, employment, and entrepreneurship on which our project is based. The data from the International Labor Organization revealed that the labor force participation rate of women at the global level is approximately 47 percent, compared to 72 percent for men. This 25 percent difference can go up to 50 percent in some regions. In the case of Turkey, it shows that factors such as financial impossibilities, low education level, domestic responsibilities, social perception of women's employment, and insufficient skills and professional qualifications affect women's access to the labor market.

"BasicEDU is an important step in increasing women's employment."

Stating that one of the critical instruments for women's economic development and employment is entrepreneurship, Gürkan said, "Women's entrepreneurship is thought to be an important step in increasing women's employment since a woman entering the employment market with the support of empowering women can direct other women to employment in the same way as a multiplier effect. In this context, our project aims to ensure the integration of disadvantaged women in the rural areas of the EU into the labor market more effectively. The support provided by the BasicEDU project is expected to play a major role in paving the way for women's employment and entrepreneurship rates in Turkey and partner countries to approach the EU level. The embroidery on the cloth bags offered to you, the handmade gifts that we randomly put in them, and that come out of the bags of some of you are the products of this type of work created during this project and are the concrete forms of women's entrepreneurship."

After the speeches, the "Women's Empowerment in Employment Participation and Development Panel" was held, moderated by OMU Faculty of Economics Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Nuray Ertürk Keskin. "Current Trends in Women's Employment in Turkiye" was the subject of the Faculty of Economics Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Demet Özmen Yılmaz; "Legal Regulations for Women's Employment in Turkey" was the subject of Samsun Bar Association President Pınar Gürsel Yıldıran; and "Women Have a Place in Art and Music" was the subject of Education Faculty Member Dr. Beril Tekeli Yigit.

After the panel, BasicEDU Women's Choir, conducted by State Conservatory Instructor Oğuz Yılmaz, performed the "For Women" concert. The program ended with the "Women Artists Mixed Exhibition" opening and a coffee break.

Certificates of appreciation were presented to the participants by Vice Rectors Selim Eren and Cengiz Batuk and KOSGEB President Nebahat Livaoğlu. The BasicEDU team distributed gifts to everyone who participated in the program.