Entrepreneur women supported with insurance

Noyan Doğan ISTANBUL

Thousands of Turkish women are benefiting from a microcredit program backed by Güneş Sigorta with insurance. AA photo

Turkish insurance company Güneş Sigorta has insured a total of 68,000 Turkish women working in the rural sector for the small amount of one Turkish Lira per month, to support entrepreneurial women who have established their own businesses using microcredits, the head of the company says.

Thousands of low-income women have started up their businesses as part of a microcredit program implemented in 175 countries, including Turkey, by using the loans given to them. In Turkey, around 75,000 women have benefited from the program since 2003 and joined economic life through their own businesses.

Güneş Sigorta CEO Serhat Süreyya Çetin has said some 68,000 of those female entrepreneurs have been insured by Güneş Sigorta since 2011.

Women befitting from the microcredit program can get their businesses insured for only one lira per month against risks like death by accidents, constant injury risks, as well as natural disasters and terrorism risks. Çetin says women are offered 10,000-liras’ worth of insurance by only paying one lira.

“Despite an increase in female participation into labor in Turkey, we see there are steps needed to be taken when we look at international comparisons,” Çetin said, adding that he sees these projects “extremely important” within this scope.