Speakers
Lal Denizli
Mayor of Çeşme
Çeşme Mayor Lâl Denizli became the first female mayor of the district in 2024. She develops Çeşme with infrastructure, education and environmental projects. She supports women's cooperatives with ÇEŞKA, contributes to early diagnosis with cancer screenings. She leads the way for women's economic and social empowerment.
Zarifa Ghafari
Former Mayor of Maidan Shahr
Human Rights Activist
Maidan Shahr Mayor Zarifa Ghafari became the youngest female mayor of Afghanistan in 2018. She develops Maidan Shahr with projects that advocate for women’s rights. She supports women’s economic empowerment with “Assistance and Promotion for Afghan Women” and education and awareness with Peghla FM Radio. She leads women’s social and political upliftment.
Rola Hallam
Doctor
Human Rights Defender
Dr. Rola Hallam is a British-Syrian doctor, humanitarian leader and TED speaker known for her lifesaving work in war zones. She has pioneered the rebuilding of local healthcare services in Syria in response to the collapse of the healthcare system, and opened the world’s first crowdfunded hospital. Active in organizations such as Lifeline Syria and CanDo, Hallam represents the power of female-led humanitarian aid. Her work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Time and the BBC, and is a symbol of courage and conscience.
Benjamina Karić
Mayor of Novo Sarajevo
She is a Bosnian politician and lawyer born in 1991. She served as the 39th mayor of Sarajevo between 2021 and 2024, and was elected mayor of Novo Sarajevo in 2024. She has a double major in law and history, and at the age of 27, she became the youngest doctor of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the first doctor of classical Roman law in the post-war period. Karić, who has more than 50 academic publications, has been a member of the Social Democratic Party since 2009 and served as the party's vice-president since 2019.
Huri Şahin
Mayor of Rijswijk
Huri Şahin, born in 1975, is a Dutch politician who has been serving as the mayor of Rijswijk since December 12, 2022. As the first Dutch mayor of Turkish descent, Şahin previously served as the director of Stichting Lokaal Rotterdam and was a member of the Dutch Council for Public Administration (Raad voor het Openbaar Bestuur). During her tenure as mayor, she has been actively involved in combating violence against women and addressing femicide, initiating various efforts to enhance women's safety in Rijswijk.
Aylin Aslım
Musician, Songwriter
Aylin Aslım is a strong female voice who began her music career in the punk-rock and alternative scene and has incorporated social issues into her art with her words and stance over the years. She draws attention with her albums as well as her activist stance on violence against women, freedoms and human rights. Aslım, who has become an inspiring figure especially among women's movements and youth, has become the voice of those who want to make change possible through culture and art.
Buket Uzuner
Writer
Buket Uzuner is a writer, biologist, and climate activist born in 1955 in Ankara, Turkey. She graduated from the Department of Biology at Hacettepe University and conducted environmental science studies in Norway, the USA, and Finland. Uzuner is known for her novels, short stories, and travel writings, often focusing on themes such as women, nature, and the climate crisis. With her series titled The Nature Quartet, she blended Turkish mythology with ecology, becoming a pioneer in environmental literature. Her works have been translated into more than ten languages and have received both national and international awards.
Dilek Hanif
Fashion Designer
Dilek Hanif is a well-known Turkish fashion designer born in Istanbul in 1962. She started her career in ready-to-wear and founded her own brand in 1990. She turned to haute couture designs in 1997 and became the first Turkish designer to present a collection at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in 2004. Her designs are inspired by Ottoman, Anatolian and Far Eastern cultures. Famous names such as Jane Fonda and Nicole Richie have worn her designs. She is also a member of the Turkish Fashion Designers Association.
Gamze Cizreli
Founder of BigChefs
Gamze Cizreli was born in Ankara in 1968. After graduating from the Department of Industrial Engineering at Middle East Technical University (METU), she decided to chart her own path by choosing entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career. Cizreli, one of the pioneers of the food and beverage sector in Turkey, made her first venture in 1994. Cizreli, who made a big splash with the BigChefs brand she founded in 2007, took her restaurant chain abroad thanks to her visionary approach that combines local cuisine with modern presentation. Today, BigChefs has become a global brand operating in many countries as well as Turkey.
Nilüfer Aktan
Commercial Manager of Air France–KLM Turkey
Nilüfer Aktan, has over 20 years of experience in the aviation sector and serves as the Commercial Manager of Air France–KLM Turkey. Her professional career begins with general management, sales and marketing activities; especially global brand management and commercial strategies are different. Aktan makes meaningful contributions to both commercial relations and women's empowerment in the field of openness with her disciplined approach, analytical perspective and thinking ability.
Çağla Kubat
Actress, Professional Windsurfer
Çağla Kubat, one of Turkey’s multifaceted female figures, is an inspiring name who combines academic discipline with a passion for sports. Graduating from Istanbul Technical University’s Mechanical Engineering Department as an honor student, Kubat has crowned her academic success with numerous achievements in the world of sports.
As a professional windsurfer, Kubat has secured countless championships in Turkey and worldwide, proudly representing her country by becoming the World Slalom Champion in 2013. Her passion for sports has made her not only an athlete but also an educator and a pioneering figure; through the “Çağla Kubat Windsurf Academy” she established in Alaçatı, she continues to contribute to the development of young female athletes.
Bengisu Avcı
Athlete, Coach
Bengisu Avcı, born in 1996 in İzmir, is an internationally recognized Turkish athlete and coach in the open water swimming discipline. Avcı has achieved significant success in open water swimming. She became the first Turkish female athlete to complete five of the "Oceans Seven" challenges, crossing the English Channel in 2018, the Catalina Channel in 2022, the Strait of Gibraltar in 2023, and the Cook Strait and Molokai Channel in 2024. With these accomplishments, she has gained worldwide recognition in the open water swimming community. Known as the "Ocean Girl," Bengisu Avcı continues to be a source of pride for Turkish sports with her remarkable achievements.
Sanem Oktar
Serial Entrepreneur, Angel Investor
Sanem is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. She was selected as one of the Top Ten Women Entrepreneurs of Türkiye in 2010. She was awarded as one of the Women Entrepreneurs of Year 2019 by Enterprising Women Magazine in USA. She has a vast experience in communication and marketing as building brands, integrated database and digital marketing. Having worked for leading local and international brands in various sectors of Türkiye in communication, sales and marketing consulting, her numerous work and projects have been awarded many times. She has been active member of KAGIDER, the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey since 2010 and has volunteered in many women empowerment projects as leader, mentor or participant. Between May 2015 and May 2019, she served as the President of KAGIDER. She has also been a member of W20 Steering Committee. She joined Entrepreneurs Organization in 2013 and she is the president of EO Türkiye. She is married and has two daughters.
Mine İlhan
Entrepreneur
Mine İlhan, born in Aydın Buharkent and a graduate of Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, began working at her father’s poultry farm. At the age of 25, following her father’s passing, she took over the farm’s responsibilities. She modernized the facility, transforming it into a fully automated operation with a capacity of 200,000, producing its own feed, and equipped with a 2,000-ton corn storage silo. She established a sustainable structure surrounded by 1,000 olive and 270 fig trees. The farm, operated by female employees, is an export-oriented business in Aydın and the only poultry farm in Turkey managed by a female entrepreneur. In 2017, İlhan was recognized in Garanti Bank’s “Women Entrepreneurs Making a Difference in Their Community” ranking, continuing to prove that women can succeed in every field.
