The first and leading integrated energy company of Turkey, Aydem Energy, has signed the United Nations Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), which conducts studies to ensure that women take part in economic life in all sectors and at all levels.
Aydem Energy, which has been operating in the fields of electricity generation, distribution and retailing for more than 40 years, has added a new one to the steps it has taken to strengthen gender equality. The Company has been entitled to become one of the signatories of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), created in partnership with the United Nations Social Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Unit (UN Women) and with the United Nations Global Compact.
With this signature, Aydem Energy and its group companies have committed to act to strengthen the presence of women in every field and level of life and to adhere to the Women's Empowerment Principles. The company, which shall pioneer and blaze the trail to gender equality and women's taking more roles in society and business life, will also play an important role in the transformation of the energy sector with its projects and contribute to the sustainable development of Turkey.
“We will continue to bring women's power to our economy”
İdris Küpeli, the CEO of Aydem Energy, indicating that as Aydem Energy, they invest in the development areas of the society as well as in their commercial activities, while adopting the approach of justice and equality in every field, has stated that they are against gender-based discrimination as well as all forms of discrimination. Concerning the issue of balancing of the place of women and men in social and business life, which is one of the important criteria of social welfare and development, pointing out that they continue their work with the "Aydem Equal Life" initiative , Küpeli has stated the following regarding being a signatory of WEPs: “In order to empower women and ensure gender equality in all fields, we adopt equal opportunity as a fundamental stance against gender-based discrimination by transforming our policies, ways of doing business, and locations. We shall continue to increase the number of our female colleagues working under the umbrella of Aydem Energy at all levels, as well as continuing our work to bring female power to the economy, social life and to development. I am sure that our signing of WEPs shall motivate us in achieving these goals and will be an important step towards the transformation of our Company, industry and country.”
Aydem Equal Life, the initiative of Aydem Energy focusing on gender equality, carries out activities aimed at ensuring that every individual benefits fully and equally from rights, resources and opportunities, and equally shares the responsibilities of life. Within the scope of the project, all employees are provided with gender training through internal trainers, equal talent pools are created in the recruitment processes, diversity and inclusion trainings are applied, and the physical spaces are rearranged with an egalitarian perspective. Re-addressing its procedures and policies through the lens of gender equality, Aydem Energy has issued the “Aydem Energy Procedure for Combating Domestic Violence”, under the consultancy of Sabancı University, within the scope of combating domestic violence and has created training on defining domestic violence that all employees have benefited from. Aiming to reflect the gender equality approach to all business processes, the Company carries out projects to raise awareness through regular communication activities and seminars.
About Aydem Energy
Aydem Energy, the first and the pioneering integrated energy company of Turkey, operates in the fields of electricity generation, distribution and retail. Aydem Energy, which has put its signature under the pioneering works in its sector such as accomplishing of the first private hydroelectric power plant of Turkey, producing of the first domestic solar cell and possessing of the first private electricity distribution and retail licenses; presently, with its 27 power plants spread throughout Turkey and with its 1.965 MW installed power generates an electrical energy of 10.044 GW per annum. The renewable energy generation company of Aydem Energy, which focuses on renewable energy, is the largest company in Turkey, whose portfolio consists of 100% renewable resources. Besides the electricity generation activities, with its electricity retail companies, Aydem Retail and Gediz Retail, it provides service to 5 million customers in 2 regions and 5 cities, namely Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, İzmir and Manisa. It also provides electricity distribution services in the same provinces with its electricity distribution companies, ADM Electricity Distribution and GDZ Electricity Distribution. Realizing a first in Turkey in the year of 2021 with its investments in human resources, the Company has succeeded in obtaining the Great Place to Work® Certificate with 11 group companies, and also has been included in the Best Employers of Turkey List with 8 group companies by the same institute.
About Women's Empowerment Principles
The Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), as a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact, has been developed through the work and negotiations of a multi-stakeholder group comprising of the business world, non-governmental organizations, universities, local governments, public institutions and UN representatives. Consisting of 7 basic principles, WEPs aims to contribute to the private sector's strengthening of its current studies on gender equality, developing of institutional policies and programs, and analyzing of its current works, key indicators and reporting practices.
The 7 basic principles of WEPs consist of the following titles:
1. Establishing of high-level corporate leadership for gender equality,
2. Treating of all women and men fairly at work – respecting and supporting of human rights and nondiscrimination principles,
3. Ensuring of the health, safety and well-being of all the women and men workers,
4. Promoting of education, training and professional development opportunities for women,
5. Implementing of enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women,
6. Promoting of equality through community initiatives and advocacy,
7. Measuring and publicly reporting on progress to achieve gender equality.