Bedriye Hülya

Associate Dean at The Wellbeing Project

Bedriye Hulya is Sector Empowerment Lead for the Wellbeing Project, social entrepreneur and founder of B-Fit. B-fit is a national chain of women-only gyms, utilizing a franchising model that empowers Turkish women. One of the basic principles of B-fit is that exercise is not a luxury but a human right; however it is not the only component. B-fit creates spaces open to women only where they can develop self-awareness and a wide range of skills. It is a platform where women can use their power to create a better world for themselves and for their community: exercise, work and own a business in order to be more aware of themselves and bridge the inequality gap between men and women.

B-fit has set up a flexible franchise system where each B-fit can institute as well their own programs, classes and activities. Since 2006, Bedriye Hulya has grown the business to over 216 gyms in over 46 locations around Turkey all run by women, enabling more than 150,000 women across a variety of socio-economic backgrounds to do sports and hundreds to start working – many of them for the first time in their lives.