This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

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Leigh Turner

Ambassador to Austria and UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna

Part of UK in Turkey

28th February 2014

Brilliant Turkish women

Are women better at business than men?
 
I found myself asking this question after visiting KAGIDER,  the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey, here in Istanbul.
 
KAGIDER is a fine organisation.  A group of top women business types set it up in 2002.  Its goals include developing entrepreneurship among women; strengthening women’s status economically and socially; and creating a world in which women can play an effective role in decision-making processes.
 
All sound excellent goals to me.
 kagider
When I visited KAGIDER recently, I was impressed by the high calibre of the women entrepreneurs I met.  Of course I have met many excellent male entrepreneurs too in Turkey.  But I am still sometimes surprised by attitudes across which you can come in any country, such as “It is hard for a man to work for a woman boss”.
 
My thoughts on that: anyone who still thinks like that (what century are you in?) should start recognising that many women bosses are brilliant.  I’ve worked for plenty.
 
And while we’re at it, let’s not forget that insurance statistics show that women are safer drivers than men and less likely to be involved in everything from driving when drunk (three times less likely) to having a fatal accident (two times less likely at age 20-29).
 
As noted in my recent Kusursuzlar blog (Violence against women, Kusursuzlar and Can IKEA do good?) the UK has long championed projects in Turkey to support the rights of women.  I look forward to continuing to work with KAGIDER.

About Leigh Turner

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of…

I hope you find this blog interesting and, where appropriate, entertaining. My role in Vienna covers the relationship between Austria and the UK as well as the diverse work of the UN and other organisations; stories here will reflect that.

About me: I arrived in Vienna in August 2016 for my second posting in this wonderful city, having first served here in the mid-1980s. My previous job was as HM Consul-General and Director-General for Trade and Investment for Turkey, Central Asia and South Caucasus based in Istanbul.

Further back: I grew up in Nigeria, Exeter, Lesotho, Swaziland and Manchester before attending Cambridge University 1976-79. I worked in several government departments before joining the Foreign Office in 1983.

Keen to go to Africa and South America, I’ve had postings in Vienna (twice), Moscow, Bonn, Berlin, Kyiv and Istanbul, plus jobs in London ranging from the EU Budget to the British Overseas Territories.

2002-6 I was lucky enough to spend four years in Berlin running the house, looking after the children (born 1992 and 1994) and doing some writing and journalism.

To return to Vienna as ambassador is a privilege and a pleasure. I hope this blog reflects that.