Empowering Kütahya’s Craftswomen: KÜGİKAD and UN Women Drive Digitalization

KÜTAHYA – November, 2022 — The Kütahya Entrepreneur and Artisan Women’s Association (KÜGİKAD) has successfully strengthened the economic capacity of its female artisans through a strategic partnership under the European Union-funded “Strong Civil Space for Gender Equality” project, implemented by UN Women.

The small grant, announced in late 2022, was crucial for KÜGİKAD, which was founded in 2014, in helping its members achieve greater visibility and fair compensation for their traditional handicrafts.

Key Project Components: Digital Transformation

To meet the challenges of the modern market, KÜGİKAD focused the grant on capacity building with a strong emphasis on digital literacy and market access.

• Training Focus: The association organized hands-on training sessions focusing on institutionalization, branding, and digitalization.
• Digital Skills Workshop: The training equipped artisans—who specialize in traditional Kütahya crafts like çini(tile art), embroidery, and weaving—with modern business skills. Specifically, workshops focused on strategies for utilizing digital platforms, such as social media and e-commerce, to promote and sell their products online to a wider audience.
• Cooperativization: Training also supported cooperativization, enabling women to achieve greater economic stability and collective power by pooling resources and efforts.

Kütahya’s Integrated Support Ecosystem

KÜGİKAD’s efforts are part of Kütahya’s integrated approach to supporting women entrepreneurs. Local entities like the Kütahya Business Development Center (KİŞGEM) frequently collaborate with KÜGİKAD, providing members with essential resources such as business consultation and microfinance information sessions.

By focusing on both preserving traditional arts and imparting modern business skills, this project directly supports Kütahya’s status as a UNESCO Creative City for Crafts and Folk Art, ensuring its heritage remains a dynamic and sustainable source of income for women.