Implemented in partnership by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce (GTO), the three-year project titled “Enhancing the Resilience of Women Cooperatives and Women Entrepreneurs in Gaziantep through Capacity Building Programs,” which was carried out between 2022 and 2024, aimed to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship and the capacities of women-led cooperatives in Gaziantep, with a particular focus on product development, digital skills, online sales access, and market integration.

The project brought together Turkish and Syrian women around the theme of entrepreneurship, supporting their active participation in social and economic life. It focused on empowering women cooperatives and entrepreneurs to develop sustainable, competitive products and access markets.

Throughout the three-year project period:

• A total of 199 women and 10 women cooperatives received training and tailored group and one-on-one business development support in 12 thematic areas, including entrepreneurship, marketing, digital transformation, social entrepreneurship, and conflict resolution.
• Social cohesion culinary workshops were held to foster collaboration and mutual learning between Turkish and Syrian women.
• Product-market fit analyses and innovation assessments were conducted, especially in the food and agricultural sectors.
• In 2023, the GAGA-Store social shop was launched to provide a physical sales outlet, followed by the launch of the Gagastore.com e-commerce platform in 2024, and the start of online sales through Hepsiburada.com, which expanded market access for women entrepreneurs.

The project supported women in building digital and market knowledge competencies, reaching wider markets, and growing their enterprises sustainably—while promoting gender equality, social cohesion, and inclusive economic participation.

On June 23, 2023, the project was awarded first place in the “Gender Equality” category at the World Chambers Competition held in Geneva.

For contact and detailed information;

Liudmyla Yıldırım

+90 342 220 30 30 (326)

E-Mail: mila@gto.org.tr