Meetings focus on impediments to gender equality in Turkey
Discussions between parliamentarians, local authorities and civil society groups reveal broad challenges to women’s empowerment and gender equality in Turkey’s south-eastern Anatolia region.Date:
Unemployment, forced marriages, and limited political participation topped the list of problems that hinder gender equality in Turkey’s south-eastern Anatolia region, according to participants to two UN Women meetings of local officials and civil society groups.
Held in Adıyaman and Gaziantep, provinces in south-east Turkey, the events are part of the UN Women project Gender Equality in Political Leadership and Participation in Turkey funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SIDA .
The project aims to strengthen dialogue on gender equality, increase networking among local organizations, and offer policy space for civil society organizations working on gender equality and women’s political participation.
Meeting participants included deputies from the Committee on Equality of Opportunity for Women and Men (EOC) of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, local officials and civil society groups.
The meeting in Gaziantep marked the 83rd anniversary of Turkish women’s right to vote and to stand for election. Former Turkish women politicians and ministers took part, and emphasized that democracy and sustainable development are not achievable without women.
“Women have power to change the country. The most effective way of having a voice in the future of the country is politics,” said Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu, Chairperson of EOC.
“We need to see women not only in parliaments but also in local governments, municipal councils, and mayor’s offices,” said Fulya Vekiloğlu, UN Women Turkey Country Programme Director.
“Women’s political participation is a sustainable development and democracy project. We achieve all goals when we include women in a range of work,” said Fatma Şahin, Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality.