NEWSROOM

SAP, on International Women's Day, March 8, announced its accomplishments from the past year in career and development-focused projects and shared its goals for 2024. The company, aiming to strengthen the link between innovation and inclusivity to shape the future, highlighted the achievements of its largest employee community, the Business Women’s Network (BWN), in Turkey over its first year.

The BWN in SAP Turkey, enabling women to share professional insights, support other women, achieve together, and increase awareness about diversity, kicked off the 'Empowering Women for a Digital Future' project last year in collaboration with the Women in Technology Association (Wtech). This project opened two classes focused on data science and data visualization, providing 40 young women with the opportunity to attend trainings aimed at their technical and personal development.

"Our 2024 goal is to strengthen our collaborations: We will succeed together."

Evrim Çolakoğlu, Leader of SAP Turkey's Business Women’s Network, shared:
"Our goal is to create a working culture where everyone, especially women, feels more at home. We started as the Turkish leg of the global network a year ago. During this time, we held a launch event attended by our clients and organized workshops supporting professional development. Our first NGO collaboration was with the Women in Technology Association, through which we completed a mentorship program designed to enlighten young women about the workforce. Our projects and activities within SAP Turkey have touched the lives of dozens of female employees.

For the development and growth of women's workforce, our goal for 2024 is 'Achieving Together.' Together with all our colleagues at SAP and our partners within our ecosystem, we aim to embark on new projects that will expand our impact."

Mentorship Support for Senior College Students and Recent Graduates

In the ongoing 'Empowering Women for a Digital Future' project for 2024, SAP Turkey BWN and Wtech have initiated a mentorship process to help young people make a strong and fast start in their careers. Young women participating in the training sessions received mentorship on various topics from SAP Turkey employees.

Zehra Öney, Founding President of the Women in Technology Association Board:
"Since 2023, we have continued our efforts with SAP to empower women in the data field. Last year's program, conducted in collaboration with SAP and involving 40 young women, progressed very successfully. Thanks to SAP's sensitive process management, we provided effective mentorships to our graduates. As a result, our graduates gained higher confidence and power in both their employment and personal lives. This year, we are starting the Data Visualization training as part of the 'Empowering Women for a Digital Future' project, which will enable 30 young women to become role models. We intend to continue this program and connect many more women with data."

"SAP, One of the Most Inclusive Companies in the World"

Carlos Lacerda, President of SAP Southern Europe Region, during his recent visit to SAP Turkey, met with the BWN Turkey team, emphasizing the importance of advancing the ratio of female employees and managers within SAP. Lacerda stated his continued support for BWN's efforts to increase the ratio of female managers.

"Our success at work is deeply linked to our efforts in diversity and inclusion," said Hande Genç, HR Director for SAP Consulting Services in Southern Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Turkey. "As one of the most inclusive companies in the world, SAP's female leadership rate in Turkey is 43%, while the rate of female employees among all staff is 49%.

Through BWN, SAP's largest employee community with over 15,000 members in 97 countries, we further intensify our support for the development and growth of the female workforce."