Big Impact Project: Young Women Building Their Future

The high-impact Young Women Building Their Future project for women not in education, employment, or training (NEET), an important social issue, was launched in 2022. The project, which is backed by the Sabancı Foundation, is carried out by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Sabancı Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.

The Young Women Building Their Future project aims to highlight the issues faced by young NEET women between the ages of 18 and 29 to develop mechanisms to resolve these problems and meet their needs. The core project activities encompass a field study, the development of a digital portal featuring the Opportunities Map, rights-centered capacity building, professional training sessions, mentorship programs, a grant initiative, stakeholder meetings, the creation of a policy recommendation document, an awareness campaign.


Project activities in 2023 include the following:

  • Vocational training sessions were organized in cooperation with local administrations, chambers of industry and commerce, NGOs, public institutions and private sector in the pilot provinces of the project, namely Adana, Diyarbakır, and Izmir. Training was provided in various areas, including software, data analysis, AutoCAD, CNC laser operation, barista skills, culinary arts, aromatic plant cultivation, automotive maintenance and repair, nail art, customer service, and fashion design. NEET women received empowerment trainings through programs such as Access to Rights in collaboration with NGOs and Bar Associations, Job Application Skills in partnership with Sabancı Group companies, and POWER Sessions in collaboration with the Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV). A total of 770 NEET women participated in the training sessions, with 88 of them successfully entering the workforce afterward.
  • Psychosocial support modules were implemented for NEET women affected by the earthquakes in collaboration with the Turkish Psychologists Association, benefiting 190 individuals in need.
  • The Mentoring Program was launched to support the personal development and careers of NEET women. Through our online mentoring program, NEET women were connected with professionals from various industries, resulting in 500 mentee-mentor matches, 2,154 mentoring meetings, and a total of 1,630 mentoring hours.
  • A Grant Program was initiated to enhance the employability of NEET women and broaden collaborative models. The Program supported seven projects aimed at facilitating the employment of NEET women across various industries.
      • - Ankara Industrialists Association, NEET Women in Industry
      - Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NEET Women in the Labor Market
      - Izmir Commodity Exchange Education, Culture, and Social Integration Foundation, Productive Women of the Sea
      - Kodluyoruz Association, Women Empowered with Software
      - Osmaniye Municipality, Raising Hopes for Earthquake-Affected Women
      - SistersLab Association for Women in Science and Technology, Women Software Developers
      - Innovative Human Resources Association, NEET Women in Human Resources
  • The Opportunities Map, facilitating access for NEET women to nearby job placements, educational programs, internships, and entrepreneurial support across Türkiye, remained instrumental in connecting young women with nearly 2,000 opportunities offered by 1,300 institutions.