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What Turkey Hosting the G20 Summit Means to Me

Since gender equality is one of the most important issues in terms of sustainable and healthy growth, Turkey has launched a new engagement group, Women20 (W20), which will concentrate on enhancing the role and increasing the participation of women in business. In addition to gender equality, ensuring women have access to financial assets will form the backbone of global growth.
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DeanDrobot via Getty Images
Portrait of a happy elegant woman showing her biceps on gray background

In November 2015, Turkey will host the G20 Summit, the premier global platform for economic and financial growth. The summit will bring together the leaders of the world's major economies to deal with the biggest economic challenges. Having the G20 Summit in Turkey is a valuable opportunity in many aspects, including the chance to push forward women's empowerment and contributions in the world.

This summit gives Turkey the chance to demonstrate its organizational success at the most significant meeting of world leaders. Leaders will share ideas and listen to each other's views, gaining valuable information firsthand in order to make informed decisions on key economic issues. Turkey will be at the heart of these decisions and support them. The summit will also showcase Turkey as an excellent location for tourism and business events. As a successful host country, Turkey will encourage delegates to spread good messages about the country when they return home, encouraging further visitors in both the business and tourism sectors.

Hosting the G20 will highlight Turkey's healthy and growing economy. According to the G20 Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting report, despite the developments in last decade in 15 of the G20 countries, the gender employment gap is more than 10 per cent. Since gender equality is one of the most important issues in terms of sustainable and healthy growth, Turkey has launched a new engagement group, Women20 (W20), which will concentrate on enhancing the role and increasing the participation of women in business.

In addition to gender equality, ensuring women have access to financial assets will form the backbone of global growth. Turkey's presidency will bring women's financial literacy to the G20 agenda and G20 leaders should see the positive impact women have on economies if they are supported in terms of financial literacy. According to the OECD Working Papers on Finance, the lack of financial knowledge affects the active participation of women within the economy, the power of women within the household and the sharing of knowledge to the next generation.

This conference has also had an impact on the life of another woman: me. Thanks to the G20, the G(irls)20 Summit will also be held in Turkey with the aim of developing the female labour force. While the current leaders of the world discuss the impact women can have on the economy, the future female leaders of the G(irls)20 Summit delegation will do the same. This is our chance to think carefully about issues that will affect our future. After receiving training on how to best use our communications, leadership and practical skills, we will have the opportunity to thoroughly discuss these issues and make recommendations of our own. I am proud of being the Turkish delegate in a summit that invests in women for a brilliant future.

By Sebiha Güngör, Delegate representing Turkey at the G(irls)20 Summit 2015, in Istanbul, Turkey

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