Background

Women are exposed to violence and discrimination in Turkey and all around the world based on gender inequality. However, both in Turkey and the world there is a significant women movement struggling with this inequality. As a result of longstanding conflicts, Hakkâri, Yüksekova has become one of Turkey's most disadvantaged districts in terms of economic and social aspects.

Association of Supporting Women and Culture in Yüksekova (YUKADER), which started operating in 2018 in the district, where the number of civil society organizations carrying out studies for women is almost non-existent, firstly implemented activities that will improve the gender equality awareness of the association team, and through the household visits, the current status of women in Yüksekova was reported. In the light of these efforts, in order to combat violence and discrimination against women in Yüksekova, there is a need to improve the gender equality awareness of women, to inform them in the focus of fundamental rights and services and to support their access to services.

Project Goals

• The association which has become a contact point for women of Yüksekova, will be structured as a Women's Support Center by strengthening its capacity to combat violence and discrimination.
• Information meetings will be held in the neighbourhoods, focusing on basic rights and services for all 607 women reached through household visits on the previous year.
• Gender equality awareness workshops will be carried out in the neighbourhoods with 300 women.
• A gender equality awareness workshop will be carried out specifically for the employees of the project’s partner public institutions.
• A Public-Community coordination board will be established, and a monthly meeting will be supported.

Project Results

• Gender equality awareness workshops were organized with participation of 303 women from different villages of Yüksekova.
  
• Information seminars were held with the contribution of representatives of public institutions such as the Bar Association, Violence Prevention and Monitoring Center Directorate and the District Health Directorate which provide services on fighting against violence, and 120 women participated.
  
• Public-Society Coordination Board meetings were held periodically, hosted by the district governor's office, bringing together the relevant public institutions in the province. It is aimed that this coordination board will be an important mechanism that contributes to fighting against violence in the long term.

Testimonials

“Through the awareness activities, we have realized the importance of creating an environment where women can speak, question, notice and most importantly become informed. This study has enabled us to see the negativities in a family from a different perspective and to notice that there are many women who take initiatives to fix it.” Bahar Sağkol, Project Field Worker