Organized in collaboration with Binance and Woman in Technology Association (Wtech), the Binance Woman in Technology Academy has extended its educational reach to women in the earthquake-stricken areas in Türkiye. Mücahit Dönmez, the General Manager of Binance Türkiye, Zehra Öney, the Founding President of Woman in Technology Association, and Harika Eldoğan, the Marketing Director of Binance Türkiye attended the program in Hatay on March 26-27, which hosted 80 young women from the disaster area. By increasing the presence of women in the fields of crypto, blockchain, and Web 3.0, the Academy takes a significant step towards addressing gender inequality in the sector and aims to be a milestone in enhancing Türkiye’s technological and economic power.
With a mission to promote equal opportunities in technology and increase women’s financial literacy levels, the Binance Woman in Technology Academy, brought its educational programs to Hatay, reaching young female university students living in the earthquake zone. The Academy was established as a collaboration between Binance, the pioneering crypto asset platform of Türkiye, and the Woman in Technology Association (Wtech).
Held in Antakya district of Hatay on March 26-27, 2024, the program offered meticulously designed training sessions on financial literacy, blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, NFTs, cybersecurity, and more, equipping the participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in the Web3 world. At the end of the program, certificates were presented to the 80 participants who attended the training.
The Binance Woman in Technology Academy, which offered its first courses in January 2024, had its first cohort of graduates. Launched in collaboration between Binance and Wtech, the academy aims to empower young women to excel not only in their individual careers but also to assume leadership roles in society. By increasing the presence of women in the fields of crypto, blockchain, and Web 3.0, the project takes a significant step towards addressing gender inequality in the sector while aiming to be a milestone in enhancing Türkiye’s technological and economic power.
Speaking at the certification ceremony held at the end of the education program, Mücahit Dönmez, the General Manager of Binance Türkiye, emphasized that immediately after the February 6 disaster, the disaster area became one of the priority areas for Binance. He stated: “As Binance, we have taken important steps to show our support for earthquake victims. Binance donated $100 worth of BNB to each user in the earthquake-stricken areas of Türkiye. Additionally, the donations collected through Binance Charity were sent to the Turkish Red Crescent to support earthquake victims, and through our donation to AHBAP, a steel house was built and opened for use as a school. For this reason, Hatay is a valuable location for the Binance Woman in Technology Academy program, embracing the innovative spirit that defines Binance’s mission and laying the foundations for change and development in the city.”
Dönmez emphasized that Türkiye is one of the most impressive centers globally, not only with an adoption rate of only around 40% for crypto but also with the excitement felt nationwide for crypto and new technologies. He added: “Although there has been a positive global trend in gender equality in the crypto sector in recent years, unfortunately, there is still inequality in both the technology and crypto fields. As Binance TR, we have taken on an important role in shaping the future of the sector, and we are determined to promote equality and diversity both in our company and throughout the industry. Education is one of the most important elements of our mission to increase financial freedom and achieve gender equality in our sector. Since our establishment, we have provided and continue to provide thousands of individuals with free educational opportunities through Binance Academy and Binance Charity. However, our mission goes beyond education, and we aim to empower our students by giving them the courage to shape the future. We aim to create a future where women are not only participants in the workplace but also celebrated leaders whose voices are heard and whose potential knows no bounds. We aim to lay the foundations for a future where gender equality is achieved not only in our sector but also in all sectors and in society.”
Zehra Öney, the Founding President of the Woman in Technology Association, one of the stakeholders of the Binance Women in Technology Academy, made the following remarks about the program:
“As the Woman in Technology Association, our main goal has been to cultivate an expert and competent workforce in technology, and to conduct focused efforts to increase the number of women with low motivation and low participation in employment, production processes, and entrepreneurship. Through our collaboration with Binance, we have established a robust program, the Binance Woman in Technology Academy, specifically designed to empower women in Web3, blockchain, crypto, artificial intelligence, and data. Following the earthquake disaster that affected us all, we conducted strong and focused disaster relief efforts in Hatay. Therefore, after awarding certificates to the first 50 graduates of the Academy and preparing them for employment, we shifted our focus to the earthquake zone and offered this program to 80 university student girls in Hatay. Fortunately, there was a high level of interest in the program. After the training, by inviting these young girls to our longer technical training sessions, we have made a good start to train strong, tech-savvy women leaders who will address Türkiye’s biggest gap, the shortage of a qualified workforce in technology.”
“If we continue at the current pace, the United Nations predicts that by 2030, more than 340 million women and girls, constituting 8% of the world’s population, will live in extreme poverty. I would like to underline once again the importance of this program for increasing our gross domestic product, and enabling Türkiye to participate among the leading countries in the world in terms of technology and a competent workforce. In the coming period, we hope that 5,000 women will graduate from the Binance Woman in Technology Academy in 5 years. We hope that these women will make a significant contribution to Türkiye with the power of technology, regardless of the sector they are in. I would also like to emphasize once again how content I am with Binance’s contribution to this program and the collaboration we have had with them. We also had two other important supporters in Hatay. Needs Map (İhtiyaç Haritası) provided us the location where we provided training in Hatay. Lenovo, a corporate member of our association, provided tablets to the women participating in our training, thus providing them with a very important opportunity to apply what they have learned. As artificial intelligence continues to transform our lives in the age of technology, the Binance Woman in Technology Academy will continue its work in Türkiye and the disaster area.”
Harika Eldoğan, the Marketing Director of Binance Türkiye, stated, “We are working to grow the ecosystem in Türkiye. It is especially very important for us to include young people and women in this ecosystem. We support women in evaluating new opportunities in the path to financial freedom and in their developments in these areas. Crypto assets, Web 3.0, and Blockchain offer a wide world where not only programmers or investors but also women working in fields such as finance, marketing, analysis, and strategy can participate. As Binance Türkiye, we carry out various works to increase awareness about crypto assets and blockchain technology in our country. We organize training programs, seminars, and conferences. Additionally, we invest in local initiatives and projects. We carry out special projects to contribute to the development of our women and to increase financial literacy. In today’s world, where technology is rapidly advancing and influencing many areas, new technologies such as blockchain and crypto assets are transforming financial markets. Although they are promising and emerging fields, gender imbalance is noticeable in these areas. Therefore, as Binance, we have taken action with the Woman in Technology Academy to address this imbalance. Our goal is to ensure that all women benefit equally from the opportunities offered by technology and to increase the number of women leaders in this field.”
Eldoğan emphasized the importance and value of women’s participation in ensuring the economic and social development of the earthquake zone, stating that they have relocated the Binance Woman in Technology Academy to Hatay for this reason. Eldoğan emphasized that the Binance Woman in Technology Academy is not just an educational program but also an initiative to build a community. She said, “Through this program, women working in different fields can come together, establish connections, and share their knowledge and experiences with each other. We see technology not only as a technical field but also as a tool for change and development that touches many aspects of life. Economic freedom, equal opportunities, and innovative approaches become more accessible to everyone with technology. As Binance, we are proud to implement this philosophy through programs such as the Woman in Technology Academy and to have moved the Academy to Hatay.”
