New UN Women-EU project to support women rights kicks off

A new three-year project aiming to support civil society on women's rights in Turkey has kicked off in an event bringing together the representatives of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, U.N. Women, civil society, government representatives and other stakeholders in the capital Ankara.

The project "Strengthening Civil Society Capacities and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Advance Women's Rights and Gender Equality in Turkey" will help women's rights civil society organizations (CSOs) and groups, as well as women-led CSOs, in improving their capacity to influence national and local women's rights and gender equality agendas.

Implemented by U.N. Women, the project will continue until March 2024. It will receive funding of 4.5 million euros from the European Union. The European Union is financing this project under the "Civil Society Facility and Media Programme."

"This comprehensive project's multi-stakeholder approach and its thematic diversity will not only help advance women's rights and the gender equality agenda in Turkey but also reinforce the 'leaving no one behind' principle of the Sustainable Development Goals," said Asya Varbanova, country director of U.N. Women Turkey.

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, the head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, said on the occasion: "We trust this project will allow civil society organizations to be more vocal, more effective and more united in working on the advancement of women's rights and gender equality in Turkey. We are pleased to work on these goals in partnership with U.N. Women, who will play a key role in bringing together the relevant stakeholders committed to the empowerment of women and girls."

The project will also address the challenges and inequalities faced by...