Istanbul: The British Consulate General in Istanbul organized a panel discussion focusing on the empowerment of women in the fields of economics and finance. The event featured notable participants, including the British Ambassador to Ankara, Jill Morris, and the Deputy Governor of the Turkish Central Bank, Hatice Karahan.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ambassador Jill Morris highlighted the importance of organizations fully utilizing women's talents, emphasizing that such inclusion leads to better decision-making, more effective risk management, and the achievement of sustainable growth. She pointed out that despite progress, women remain underrepresented in senior economic positions, especially in finance and academia. Morris cited that women account for only a quarter of economists in the finance sector and just 16% of senior leaders. Additionally, only 22% of faculty members in leading economics departments worldwide are women.

Hatice Karahan, speaking at the panel, shared that women constitute 51% of the workforce in the Turkish banking sector. While this is seen as encouraging, she noted that inequality becomes evident higher up the career ladder. Managerial and C-suite roles in many countries continue to be predominantly male-dominated. Karahan questioned why women tend to advance more slowly, despite having similar qualifications and performance as their male counterparts. She attributed this to a combination of interconnected factors, primarily rooted in existing mindsets and implicit biases that perpetuate obstacles for women globally in economics and finance.