ŞANLIURFA Women’s NGOs
UNJP Local Facilitator Tülay Yılmaz talked to representatives from women’s NGOs in Şanlıurfa:
 Like many women’s NGOs, we joined the United Nations Joint Programme to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Women and Girls (UNJP) from Şanlıurfa. It was very beneficial for us to meet with representatives from local organizations and women’s NGOs from different parts of Turkey, share with each other the local problems, and engage in joint work to solve these problems. The UN project coordinators’ technical support for project planning and management, financial support for implementation, and direction towards possible financial resources were very valuable for us. (Turkish University Women Association)
When the United Nations Joint Programme was initiated, programme coordinators have contacted us. We felt their support for our association’s work with women and girls. The UNJP was very beneficial to us in terms of planning projects for women and girls, project management, and communicating with other institutions. We are very happy that such a programme is being run in our city, as we had communication problems before the Programme. We would like to thank everyone involved in the UN Joint Programme.(Müzeyyen Şansal, Women and Family Education, Culture and Solidarity Association)
 We truly appreciate that that Şanlıurfa is one of the cities included into the United Nations Joint Programme to Protect and Promote the Human Rights of Women and Girls (UNJP). Through the Joint Programme, such issues as the human rights of women and girls, raising awareness, improvement of local services, increasing the representation of women, security for women and improvement of the quality of life for women found a platform for discussion for the first time among the NGOs and the public institutions of our city. Through this process, a dialogue was established between the NGOs and the public institutions, and problems and possible solutions were discussed. Şanlıurfa is one of the cities where women experience the most problems. We believe that this programme will contribute to the solutions of these problems, even if it is very small. This project is very important for us. Because the women of Şanlıurfa, who constitute around half of the population of the city, are now more brave in articulating their problems, and finding solutions. What is even better is that, not only women but all the public institutions and NGOs are major contributors in this. These are all positive developments. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved in the United Nations Joint Programme. (Yaşamevi Women’s Solidarity Association)
The members of the Local Agenda 21 Women’s Assembly and academics from Harran University shared their expertise, and put great effort into various projects. I believe that with the help of the UNJP, we are going to record progress in a shorter time in helping women and girls who are working in agriculture to be able to reach health and education services, making sure that their economic contribution is valued, and raising awareness among women on their individual rights. (Esin Polat, Local Agenda 21 Women’s Assembly)
The undertaking of United Nations Joint Programme on raising awareness on women’s problems, and finding solutions to these problems through cooperation between women’s NGOs and public institutions was a very important step. Politics is a male-dominated area and women need to participate more in politics and local decision-making mechanisms. Given the fact that we are constantly in interaction with municipalities and quarter heads (muhtar), women’s increased participation in politics will help in raising awareness, as well. (Şanlıurfa KAMER, Women’s Center)
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