Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Ahmet Bağcı, and ARDSI Director Dr. Ahmet Antalyalı, participated in the closing event of the "Empowering Women Through Cooperatives Project."
The event, held on the occasion of the Women's Cooperatives Week, was organized by the General Directorate on the Status of Women and the Training and Publication Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, honored the gathering with her presence.
In her speech, Minister Göktaş emphasized the project's goal to encourage women to unite their efforts, knowledge, and skills under cooperative structures, aiming to generate not only economic value but also social benefits. She highlighted ongoing educational and consultancy activities in cooperation with ARDSI to empower women in rural areas.
Following the speeches, Minister Göktaş, Deputy Minister Dr. Ahmet Bağcı, and Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Ahmet Aydın presented awards distributed as part of Women's Cooperatives Week. The officials, along with other dignitaries, visited booths set up by 80 women's cooperatives from 30 pilot provinces involved in the project.
Dr. Ahmet Antalyalı also visited the booths and was engaged in discussions with cooperative members. He emphasized the institution's positive discrimination policy towards women and young individuals under the IPARD Programme and invited cooperative members to submit project applications to ARDSI.
