Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name is Meltem, and I'm honoured to have led the ELLEvate program, supporting 600 diverse women entrepreneurs annually. At YES, we value our community's diversity. Each client has their own unique background, business sector and even personal definition of success.
Today, I would like to shed light on three important areas that are crucial for the continued success of our initiatives and for the empowerment of women entrepreneurs.
First, these programs are only available because of the available government funding, yet their success also relies on collaboration with corporate partners, community organizations and volunteers. Financial incentives and recognition of their commitment are vital in fostering successful, ongoing partnerships.
Second, two-thirds of supported women prioritize sustainability and social responsibility over scalability, yet funding often doesn't cater to these solopreneurs. Addressing this gap requires tailored funding mechanisms.
Lastly, the landscape of work is evolving, with freelance remote work emerging as a new norm. At YES, we proudly support freelancers, and I'm hoping that, through government programs, we can continue to provide communication platforms, documentation management systems and so on.
Thank you for your time and for your commitment to this cause.