THE MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SMART ENERGY, HAVVA KOROGLU, COMMENTATED THE SOLAR SECTOR

The Member of the Board of Directors of Smart Energy, being one of the leading corporations of the solar energy sector, Havva Koroglu, underlined that the participation of women in the labor force supports the growth. Koroglu, drawing the attention to that women successfully take charge in all positions from the field to the management in the solar energy sector, said “The strengthening of the position of women in the business life is a must mainly for the social development”.

Havva Koroglu, who entered into the solar energy sector as a start-up entrepreneur and who has been performing duty as the Member of the Board of Directors in Smart Energy which is one of the leading corporations of the sector, for the last two years, attracted the attention to an important development in the sector. Köroglu, emphasizing that women can take charge in all positions in this sector, underlined the importance of the principle of equal opportunity.

Köroglu, stating that the solar power sector has made a remarkable development particularly within the last 5 years in Turkey and that the installed capacity of the solar energy sector which was merely 40 MW in 2014 exceeded 6 thousand MW in 2020, said “the solar energy sector which provides significant contributions to the national economy, mainly the current deficit, also provides substantial acquirements in regards to employment. We believe that this sector will continue to grow with the participation of women.”. Köroglu, conducting the functions of the EPC Central Office Directorate and the Internal Audit Directorate as well as the Membership of the Board of Directors in Smart Energy, said “When we say that the solar energy sector must grow, the development of our country in the energy generation must be accelerated, our current deficit must be compensated, our unemployment rates must decrease, we are aware of the fact that this will be possible only with the participation of our women and we act with this awareness.”

A YOUNG AND INNOVATIVE SECTOR

Köroglu, drawing the attention to that being a woman in the business life has challenges arising mainly from the conceptual habits, commentated: “For instance, acquiring the reputation of ‘business man’ in the definition of ‘business woman’ has still not been able to become common. Although the expression ‘business person’ is being tried to be popularized and adopted today, there are still lots of grounds to be covered in this regard. We can take the easy way out by saying ‘being a woman is most of the time a disadvantage in the solar energy sector as in all sectors’. However, this would be obstructing the ways. These days, the foresighted companies have changed their perspective for women in the business life and care about the participation of women in the labor force. The solar energy sector, as a young and innovative sector, also gives major roles to women. With the increase of the numbers of the organizations following innovative and sustainable policies, the participation of women in this sector will increase much more.”

EQUALITY IN ALL POSITIONS

Havva Köroglu, expressing that the strengthening of women in the business life is primarily a requirement for the social development, said “Women’s working and providing economic contribution makes a difference even within the family which is the smallest social structure. This difference ensures social awareness and socio-cultural enrichment.”. Köroglu, pointing out that the ideational differences such as “Women’s job-Men’s job” have started to disappear, continued by saying: “We now see women in different positions with various roles from the field to the board of directors. As it has been determined by the researches that women are more durable and powerful at the times of crisis, there are lots of things that our women will contribute to the business life. Women can provide contribution in all fields also in the solar energy sector such as design, modeling, R&D, generation etc... This list is ever-lengthening. What matters is that all employees’ having established the fields in which they will work with pleasure and they will be productive because you can be very successful in every field, in every sector when you work willingly.”

EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY IS IMPORTANT

Köroglu, stating that Smart Energy also focuses its attention to the employment of women in parallel to its development, shared this information: “We aim at increasing the number of the female employees so as to ensure equality in every department within the upcoming process. In Smart Energy which has increased the number of the employees from 20s to 400s since its initial structuring in Turkey, the participation rate of women in the labor force is about 47 percent as of today. This rate is over 50 percent among our blue-collar employees. Although the rates vary as per departments, 22 key points of 33 stations in the generation department are under the management of women. We handed over our R&D Department to our female employees. In certain departments, the employment of women is over 65 percent. In the quality and generation departments, many female employees of us are taking charge. We, as Smart Energy, have adopted the principle of equal opportunity in all positions. We offer equality of opportunity for every position and every role from the field to the board of directors. Smart Energy regards its employees as companions. We believe that we will succeed all together by esteeming our employees and developing the awareness of being a team.”