Strengthening the Resilience of Syrian Women and Girls and Host Communities in Turkey, Iraq and Jordan' Factsheet - Turkey Country Facts

Following the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, Turkey has become home to the largest number of refugees in the world. As of October 2018, Turkey has been hosting about 3.5 million Syrian refugees, of which 70 percent are women and children. The Temporary Protection Regulation of Turkey provides Syrians with access to the national social protection systems, but many Syrian women and girls struggle to secure their basic needs, recover from war traumas, and participate in the social and economic life in Turkey. 70 percent of Syrian women do not speak any Turkish, making it difficult for them to exercise their rights and reach services. They continue to turn to negative coping mechanisms such as unregistered work, child labour, and early and forced marriages.

Funded by the European Union Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syria Crisis and the Japanese Government, UN Women’s integrated two-year (2018-2019) refugee response programme in Iraq, Jordan and Turkey, aims to strengthen the resilience of Syrian and host community women through protection, economic empowerment, and increased access to multi-sectoral services. In Turkey, the programme titled “Strengthening the Resilience of Syrian Women, Girls and Host Communities” focuses on increasing the skills, qualifications and income opportunities of Syrian and host community women while providing them with training on crisis prevention, peace building as well as immediate and longer-term protection services.