Very few social services and programs exist to enable women in Turkey to translate their legal rights into practice in their daily lives. Although gender equality is secured by the Turkish Constitution and discrimination is prohibited by the international treaties Turkey has signed, what still governs the lives of most women is not constitutional rights or the Civil Code but rather social and religious customs and traditions. For instance, the Civil Code provides for the consent of the marrying parties for marriage. Yet, in everyday practice, many women are forced into marriage against their will. In other words, the discrepancy between official codes and customary law is felt by women in many different areas of their lives.

Domestic pressure, discrimination and inequality prevent women from even emerging into the public field, let alone taking advantage of their legally secured equal public rights.

To change this situation, women need to know their legal and human rights, internalize and demand these rights, and be equipped with the necessary resources and the capacity to develop strategical approaches to struggle and organize against violations of these rights.

We set out to address these needs through our work in the field of Human Rights Training for Women. To this end, we developed the Women’s Human Rights Training Program: a 16-week, participatory and multidimensional group training.

As a result of our collaboration with the General Directorate for Social Services, the Women’s Human Rights Training Program, which was first put into practice in 1995-1996, has expanded to include 24 cities.

Related documents:

Human Rights Training Program