BACKGROUND
In Adana, as in Turkey in general, women's participation in neighborhood assemblies and local decision-making mechanisms at various levels is limited. Changing this situation and ensuring effective participation and representation requires not only the creation of favorable conditions but also women's awareness of their rights. In order for women to be empowered and actively participate in processes starting from their neighborhoods, there is a need for information and skills support on their rights, public services related to their rights and the procedures to be followed when they want to access these services.
PROJECT GOALS
- A total of 20 women from Namıkkemal, Hurmalı, Mithatpaşa and Istiklal neighborhoods of Adana's Seyhan district will be selected and a practical training program consisting of 10 modules (50 days) including visits to relevant institutions will be implemented.
- The training modules cover different topics such as gender equality, right to education, women's health, legal rights, employment, women's solidarity, disaster preparedness, media literacy, democratic decision-making mechanisms.
- Women who receive trainings will be supported to deliver each training module to other women and invite them to attend open session in the neighborhood.
- Women will be supported to participate in neighborhood assemblies on a regular basis.
- Five handicraft workshops will be organized to increase women's solidarity and the cohesion of the participants.
- A workshop will be organized to discuss the problems in the neighborhoods to create a communication network.
- The project report and petition templates to be used in public services will be compiled into a booklet and distributed to trainees, NGOs and public institutions.
- The sustainability of the model will be ensured by adding it to the municipal strategic plan.
PROJECT RESULTS
- 20 volunteers ‘leader women’ selected from four neighborhoods in the Seyhan district of Adana completed training on gender equality, right to education, women’s health, legal rights, employment, media literacy, and democratic decision-making mechanisms.
- Practices were carried out with institution visits, and the participating women shared the information they acquired with ‘neighborhood open lessons’.
- A workshop was organized where women discussed the problems in their neighborhoods and their proposed solutions.
- Throughout the project, women experienced changes such as returning to education, joining cooperatives, becoming active members of civil society organizations, starting a job, becoming a headman candidate and member, and becoming delegates in city councils.
- The training program was included in the Local Equality Action Plan of the Seyhan Municipality and shared with other municipalities.
TESTIMONIALS
“We are supposedly from Adana, but we saw the beauties of our Adana with you. As we walked together in the city center, I realized that there is nothing women cannot do if they want to, that we need to trust ourselves and love ourselves.
