Sabanci Foundation Launches “United Nations Joint Program for Promoting the Human Rights of Women”

The Sabanci Foundation will be launching a second United Nations Joint Program supporting the outcomes of the first Joint Program implemented during 2006-2010 under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior and all UN agencies in Turkey. The “United Nations Joint Program for Promoting the Human Rights of Women” will be implemented till the end of 2014 in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Interior, UN Women (UNW), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Sabanci Foundation and Sabanci University. Designed to address gender inequality and raise awareness about women’s rights, the Joint Program will focus on building local administration capacity for “Gender Budgeting and Monitoring”. Furthermore, through the “Sabanci Foundation Grant Program”, NGOs, universities and local administrations will receive support to implement projects promoting gender equity, while academicians from Sabanci

University will offer gender equity training to teachers, local governments and NGOs within the framework of “Purple Certificate Program”.

“Gender Inequality is a Joint Problem which Requires Joint Solutions”

Chairman of the Sabanci Foundation Board of Trustees, Guler Sabanci underlined the need for public sector, private sector and NGO’s to join forces in order to create change and overcome obstacles. Ms. Sabanci said: “Sabanci Foundation made a significant difference in the realm of women’s rights through the strength of our first partnership program with the UN and Ministry of Interior. As a consequence of these activities the issue of women’s rights became more visible at the local and national level, and important new policies and practices were developed. Provinces began to create “Local Equality Action Plans” and establish Gender Equality Commissions and Local Equality Divisions. In our new program, the focus will be on gender equality for public spending and work towards the institutionalization of this approach”.

Ms. Sabanci confirmed that the program, supported by Sabanci Foundation, would also continue providing grants for new projects, as well as offering gender training for teachers, local governments and NGO’s through the Purple Certificate Program of Sabanci University, to promote women’s participation in the society. Ms. Sabanci said: “Gender inequality is a joint problem which requires joint solutions. Thanks to our partnership with the UN, Ministry of Interior and Sabanci University, we encourage partnership and cooperation. When NGO’s and local governments identify problems and implement solutions together, the sustainability of these efforts continues even after the program ends”.

“Gender Responsive Budgeting”

The Turkish Ministry of Interior, UN Women, UNDP, Sabanci Foundation and Sabanci University will implement this new Joint Program during 2011-2014 under the theme of “Gender Responsive Budgeting”. This practice yields transparent budgets, renders women more visible, and reveals priorities and needs in terms of public services and public spending strategies. Adoption of “Gender Responsive Budgeting” as a strategy and ensuring its institutionalization contributes to more effective budgeting practices and an increase in democratic participation, as experiences from all around the world have revealed.

Benefits Incurred Through the Joint Program of 2006-2010

The first phase of work, the “United Nations Joint Program to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Women and Girls” (UNJP) was implemented during 2006-2010 in partnership with the Sabanci Foundation, the Turkish Ministry of Interior, the UN Agencies in Turkey and Sabanci University and supported by these partners and the embassies of 10 countries.

In the six program provinces (Izmir, Kars, Nevsehir, Trabzon, Sanliurfa and Van), Local Equality Action Plans were ratified and put into effect by the Provincial and City Councils. Equality Divisions and Gender Equality Commissions set up in the provinces paved the way for implementing decisions targeting gender equality. These activities established a model for Turkey and on February 19, 2010 the Ministry of Interior issued a circular to Governorships in all of Turkey’s 81 provinces, requiring them to adopt these practices in local administrations.

In addition to its support for the coordination of the UNJP, the Sabanci Foundation provided grants to 34 local projects in the six provinces where the program took place. Furthermore, through Sabanci University Purple Certificate Program, 2144 teachers, students and women received training and joined seminars on gender.

The UNJP is the first project that was supported simultaneously by all the UN agencies in Turkey. Moreover, in 2009, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) selected the program as one of "Best Rights-Based Programs" in the world. The Sabanci Foundation funded 1.600.000 USD of the 2.800.000 USD total Joint Program budget.