Project Summary
Grantee	: Youth for Habitat (Habitat)
Purpose	: Supporting women, youth and people with disabilities participate in local governance
Location	: Adana, Ankara (Cankaya), Denizli, Diyarbakir, Izmir, Kocaeli, Ordu, Van
Grant Amount	: 279.000 TL
Project Partner	: 23 partners including City Councils, Local Authorities and NGOs
Period	: 15 April 2010 - 15 July 2011
Status	: Completed
Project Year	: 2010

Background

In Turkey women, youth and people with disabilities do not actively participate in social life and decision-making processes. One of mechanisms that facilitate participation to local decision-making in Turkey is the established councils on women, youth and people with disabilities, under City Councils. However, the weak capacity of councils impedes right-based policy making that represent the rights of all. (Habitat, 2010)

Project Goals

• In 8 provinces:
  • 8 Local Democracy Academies will be established.
  • 48 representatives of women, youth and persons with disabilities councils will be trained as trainers.
  • 600 council members will be trained on right-based decision-making policy.
  • Through seminars and public meetings the project will reach 6000 local citizens to raise awareness on the rights of women, youth and people with disabilities.
  • Women, youth and persons with disability councils will develop right-based policies.
• A best practice city council model will be created to be shared with decision-makers.

Project Results

• In 8 project provinces, locations were arranged for Local Democracy Academy Trainings under City Councils.
• A trainee curriculum on rights and advocacy was designed, 49 women, youth and people with disability council representatives participated in trainings to become trainees.
• Trainees reached 594 women, youth and people with disability council members.
• Through seminars and awareness-raising activities the project has reached more than 11.000 citizens.
• To determine the needs of cities, community-based evaluation tools were developed and filled out by 5600 citizens. Please click to see the results of the surveys.
• The councils developed 70 policy papers and projects that are responsive to the needs of women, youth and people with disabilities.

Testimonials

“We have realized our lack of knowledge about human rights even though it is what we need to know the most for right-based policy making.’’

Council Representative, Adana

“The more we explain the project to the public, the more they learn about it. The positive feedback of the public motivates us. Several concepts about human rights once we had problems in speaking to public have now become more tangible.”

Council Representative, Cankaya

“Thanks to the trainings, I have realized the problems that women, youth and people with disabilities confront in their daily lives and have become aware of human rights.”

Council Representative, Kocaeli