1. Could you please briefly introduce your company? Just a few sentences

Being a part of artience Group based in Japan, one of the world's largest ink manufacturers, Toyo Printing Inks is one of the pioneering brands leading the ink industry in Turkey. We are the only company that performs R&D and manufacturing under the same roof in the categories of Newspaper and Magazine Inks, Sheet Offset Inks, Screen Printing Inks, Flexo and Rotogravure Inks and Metal Packaging Systems in our factory in Manisa. Furthermore, we also sell product groups such as Lamination Adhesives and Pigments. Our company aims to contribute to the empowerment of women in economic life and promote equal opportunities for women. To this end, we collaborate with women's cooperatives in Hatay to support the labour of productive women in the region.

2. How did you choose these women's cooperatives in Hatay?

With the project we launched in 2024 while supporting women's empowerment, which has always been one of our priorities, we also included women living in the earthquake zone in the process. And, we believed that we could be more effective and beneficial in this way.

In this context, we initiated our cooperation with Defne Women's Cooperative and Samandağ Women's Cooperative in Hatay. While choosing the cooperatives, we paid particular attention to the fact that they represent women's labour in the region in the best way, participate in production and create social benefit. Every product created by these cooperatives, which are inspired by Hatay's rich cultural heritage, is not only material, but also a reflection of women's determination, labour and strength united around a common goal.

Especially after the earthquake on February 6, 2023, these cooperatives not only provided economic value but also became an important source of morale for the people living in the region. Since these cooperatives aim to support women's economic independence, touch their lives and contribute to the redevelopment of Hatay, we wanted to be a part of this process.

3. What kind of initiatives did you undertake for these cooperatives?

Supporting women's economic empowerment is not only a social responsibility but also a cornerstone of social development. With this in mind, we consider our cooperation with women's cooperatives in Hatay to be of great value.

Each year, we present various gifts to our colleagues, customers, suppliers and business partners on special occasions. As of 2024, we transformed these gifts into a meaningful project supporting women's labour. To this end, we collaborated with the Defne Women's Cooperative and the Samandağ Women's Cooperative in Hatay and created our gifts from products handcrafted by women producers.

In the gift boxes we prepared, we included special products produced by the strong women of these cooperatives. Each product is not just a delicacy or an item; instead, it is a symbol of the labour, struggle and perseverance of women working in Hatay.

Following the catastrophe, the people living in the region have embarked on a comprehensive reconstruction process. These cooperatives have not only been a source of economic support, but also a source of jobs and hope for women living in the region. Nowadays, they provide job opportunities for many women. By doing so, they give them a stronger grip on life. As Toyo Printing Inks, we take it as a responsibility to deliver this labour to more people and contribute to the production journey of women.

We will continue to spread the labour of productive women in Hatay to more people, making their stories heard and raising social awareness.

4. What kind of impact did you aim to create with the event you organized for Women's Day and what happened during this event?

This year, we hosted a meaningful meeting at our factory on the 8th of March, International Women's Day. We had the opportunity to host Nesrin Deli, President of Defne Women's Cooperative, and heard inspiring stories from her about women's production journeys. Their perseverance and determination reminded us once again of the power of women's labour. Moreover, thanks to the video shared by Zarif Sönmez Aslan, Production Officer of Samandağ Women's Cooperative, we witnessed the production processes of these strong women more closely.

The most meaningful point for us was the inspiration and admiration in the eyes of our participants. Here, we are not just talking about a production process. We witnessed how women overcome difficulties, how they exist through production and how they become stronger through solidarity. This experience was not only a meeting, but also a moment that motivated us for future projects.

Like all other regions affected by earthquakes, Hatay has unfortunately been shaken by a major disaster in recent years. This catastrophe has deeply affected not only buildings but also lives. All the while, unemployment and economic hardship have made life even more difficult for the people living in the region. However, what impressed us the most during this process was that the women in Hatay never gave up and continued to produce and survive together with determination.

When starting this project, we aimed to support women's labour in the region and contribute to their empowerment through production. But over time, we came to realize that we also learned a lot from this project. Their solidarity, fighting spirit and determination to overcome difficulties have been a great source of inspiration for us.

5. What kind of work do you do in the context of equal opportunities for women?

Equal opportunity is not only a principle that we adopt at work, but also an important area of responsibility that we aim to promote in society. In this context, we took part in the BADV (Business Against Domestic Violence) project and developed a comprehensive workplace policy to combat domestic violence. This policy not only protects the safety and well-being of our employees but also directly aligns with our company's core values.

Additionally, we strive to develop programs and projects that promote women's empowerment in business life. We believe that the representation of women in the business world should increase and we strive to create sustainable policies in this regard within the company.

Our efforts on gender equality aim to create a transformation not only within the company, but also in the sector and ecosystem we operate in. Because we believe that when equality is achieved, not only women but the whole society wins.

6. Are you planning anything similar in the coming period?

We are determined to continue our support for women's empowerment and equal opportunities in the future. We intend to develop new projects aimed at increasing the number of female employees, offering opportunities to young talents and bringing more women into the workforce. We believe that this approach will not only contribute to the sustainable growth of our company but will also continue to add value to society.

Inspired by the understanding that "Big changes start with small steps" and the words of the Great Leader MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATÜRK, "Hatay is my issue", we set out on this path and we aim to support women to gain a stronger position in economic and social life, to promote equal opportunities in the business world and to contribute to the development of society in a more sensitive, inclusive and egalitarian manner.

Moreover, we care about being a part of this transformation not only in our company but also in the industry and the business world. One of our biggest goals is inspiring and leading other companies to take similar steps in this field.