ILO-led Gender Equality Trainings Brings Women’s Employment Award to KARSAN

News | 29 November 2019
Turkey’s local producer of commercial vehicles that marks half a century of its foundation and striding firmly to become a global brand, Karsan was recognised by the Turkish Federation of Automotive Service Associations (TOBFED) with the Women’s Employment Award for its projects and practices on women’s employment and gender equality undertaken jointly with the International Labour Organization (ILO), setting precedents for all sectors.

The awards were presented at the event of “Summit for Future” and Third General Assembly. Receiving the award on behalf of Karsan, Human Resources Director Mücahit Korkut said “Women’s contribution to our company by their efforts and abilities continues to push our success bar higher up.”

Manufacturing modern public transport vehicles responding to the mobility needs of our age, Karsan continues to crown its achievements by awards. Karsan was recognised by the Turkish Federation of Automotive Service Associations (TOBFED) with an award. The sole representative entity with 22 affiliate associations and 81 provincial representations in the automotive post-sale services sector of 300,000 SMEs and 1.5 million employees, TOBFED organised a “Summit for Future”. Also featuring TOBFED’s Third General Assembly, the Summit addressed the trends that shape the future of automotive care and post-sale services sector. The evening event held at Istanbul Raffles Hotel brought together representatives of the automotive industry as well as many figures from politics, media and science. The “Women’s Employment Awards” were presented to the winners at the Assembly. Karsan, Turkey’s local producer of commercial vehicles, received the award for its work on women’s employment and gender equality undertaken jointly with the ILO Office for Turkey. The award was handed to Human Resources Director Mücahit Korkut on behalf of Karsan.

Speaking at the event, Human Resources Director Mücahit Korkut recalled that the automotive sector was among industries with lowest women employment. Korkut said: “While 20% of our office workers are women, only 5% of our entire workforce are women.” Informing on the “Positive Career” initiative introduced last year that set career paths for employees, Korkut indicated that %50 of managerial positions at Karsan had successful women. Korkut continued: “Women’s contribution to our company by their efforts and abilities continues to push our success bar higher up.”

Significant step by Karsan to empower women!

Recalling also that they signed a protocol last July on advancing gender equality and women’s employment with Kıraça Holding and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations specialised agency for the world of work, Korkut said: “Activities under the protocol will represent a significant step toward women’s empowerment in Turkey. We formed an “Enterprise Improvement Team” consisting of equal numbers of women and men to implement the model. This Team will draw up the Karsan Work Plan to increase women’s employment and execute the actions.”

“We aim to create guiding practices”

Korkut further informed that the ILO Office for Turkey organised seminars of “I Support Equality” for all employees on workplace practices that promote women’s employment and gender equality, and Karsan created a pool of “In-House Trainers” to deliver training to new hires to ensure continuity of seminars and training. He said: “At the end of a year-long implementation, we aim to create guiding practices not only for Bursa or metal sector, but also for entire Turkey and all sectors.”

About Karsan:

Boasting a history of 53 years in the Turkish automotive industry, Karsan has since founding been manufacturing its own brands as well as for the world’s leading brands of commercial vehicles at its own modern plant. Manufacturing commercial vehicles since 1981, Karsan’s plant at Hasanaga, Bursa has the capacity to produce 18,200 vehicles a year at one shift. Flexibly designed to manufacture a full-range of vehicles from heavy-duty trucks, minivans to busses, the Hasanaga plant is located on a land of 207,000m2 with 91,000m2 close space, at a location 30 km from Bursa city centre.

As the sole independent manufacturer of multiple brands in the Turkish automotive industry for more than 50 years, Karsan aspires to position itself, in line with its vision, in all segments of cargo and passenger transportation by developing new products and derivatives of existing ones in collaboration with business partners and licensors. Working to develop “from idea to market” and place on the market the “innovative products and services” in the public transport sector, Karsan particularly aims to strengthen its business line as Major Producer/OEM. Karsan manages its whole value chain from R&D to production, from marketing to post-sales activities.

Karsan currently produces new H350 light commercial vehicles for Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), 10, 12, 18m busses for Menarinibus, and Jest, Atak and Star models as its brands. In addition, it manufactures full-electric Jest Electric and Atak Electric models in collaboration with the global giant BMW. Karsan’s plant at the Organized Industry Zone provides industrial services, in addition to Karsan’s automotive production.