25 Municipalities from 7 Regions of Türkiye Join Forces for Women-Friendly Cities
- tco-comms
- Oct 31
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 3
The launch event for the "Women-Friendly Cities 3" programme, being implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT) with the financial support of the European Union, under the coordination of the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held in Ankara. The event brought together high-level representatives from public institutions, embassies, international organizations, civil society organizations, and academia, as well as numerous mayors. During the event, a joint commitment was made together with the 25 partner municipalities and local civil society organizations to advance gender equality at the local level.
ANKARA, TÜRKİYE – The third phase of the "Women-Friendly Cities" Programme, which aims to ensure women live equally, safely, and without barriers in all aspects of urban life and participate effectively in local decision-making processes, has begun. The launch event for the programme took place in Ankara with the participation of relevant stakeholders. The programme, co-funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT) under the coordination of the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, will continue for three years with the cooperation of 25 municipalities from Türkiye's 7 regions and local civil society organizations.
UMT Acting President Vahap Seçer, UNFPA Representative for Türkiye, Mariam A. Khan, The Head of the Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, Maria Luisa Wyganowski, and Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation at the Directorate for EU Affairs, Bülent Özcan posed together on the stage at the event.
Operating under the slogan “Strong women, strong cities, strong societies,” the programme seeks to build inclusive, safe, and livable cities that take into account the rights and needs of all residents, especially women, girls, and vulnerable groups, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, or physical, economic, or social circumstances. It aims to ensure that everyone has equal, safe, and unlimited access to essential rights and services; from health and education to infrastructure, transportation, employment, and social services. The programme also promotes women’s active participation in urban planning, programming, budgeting, decision-making, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation processes.The Women-Friendly Cities Programme will work to create cities where individuals can live safely and free from discrimination and all forms of violence, where women's rights and opportunities are strengthened through municipal services, and where gender equality is ensured in all aspects of life in line with principles of social and environmental sustainability.
Through close collaboration with civil society organizations, participating municipalities will adopt a more inclusive and equitable approach to local governance that responds to the needs of women and vulnerable groups, contributing to social and economic development both locally and nationally.
Launch Event
The launch event began with speeches from representatives of the programme partners. The Acting President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), Vahap Seçer; the UNFPA Representative for Türkiye, Mariam A. Khan; the Head of the Cooperation Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Maria Luisa Wyganowski; and the Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation at the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bülent Özcan, delivered opening remarks. They emphasized the importance of this collaboration and the programme's goals, and congratulated the 25 participating municipalities for their commitment to equality.
UMT Acting President Vahap Seçer: “A city where women are empowered is a city where society grows stronger. Cities that come to life under the Women-Friendly Cities brand are places where solidarity, trust, and equality take root. When the barriers before women are removed, the horizons of cities expand, allowing tomorrow’s leaders to take bolder and more hopeful steps today.”
UNFPA Representative for Türkiye, Mariam A. Khan, emphasized that UNFPA continues to support national priorities in cooperation with municipalities and civil society organizations. “In the third phase of our journey towards creating Women-Friendly Cities, we will continue contributing to the development of safer and more empowering cities for women and girls across Türkiye. This will advance a lasting model of equality and inclusion, while strengthening demographic resilience through greater participation of women in social and economic life," she said.
The Head of the Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Türkiye, Maria Luisa Wyganowski: “Women Friendly Cities III is not just another project contract. It is a shared EU–Türkiye commitment to building societies where women’s safety, dignity, and health are prioritised, and where women’s voices are part of shaping cities and communities.”
Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation at the Directorate for EU Affairs, Bülent Özcan emphasized that under the “EU–Türkiye Financial Cooperation,” numerous projects have been and continue to be implemented to promote women’s employment, increase girls’ school enrollment rates, combat violence against women, fight discrimination, and advance gender equality. “Each of these projects contributes to enhancing women’s rights in various areas in our country. The Women-Friendly Cities III Programme also reinforces the impact of our previous initiatives, with the aim of integrating gender equality into the institutional structures of local administrations,” he said.
The event, which was attended by high-level representatives from public institutions, embassies, international organizations, civil society organizations, and academia, as well as many mayors, also included discussions on the programme's objectives and the activities to be carried out. The launch event concluded with a group photo.
Programme Objectives
Within the scope of the programme, which will run until the end of 2027, UNFPA will provide capacity-building support to the 25 participating municipalities. In these cities, Local Equality Mechanisms (LEMs) will be established or strengthened, and Local Equality Action Plans (LEAPs) will be developed and implemented to take women-friendly steps in various fields. This will make the empowerment of women a core area of work for local governments. Civil society organizations, with their local expertise and connections, will be a critical component of the programme, working with municipalities in areas such as accessing vulnerable groups, identifying problems, developing policies, providing equality-focused services, and adopting a rights-based, inclusive, and participatory local governance approach.
To enable all urban residents, especially women and girls, to live free from discrimination and all forms of violence, the establishment of Women's Counseling Centers and Shelters will be encouraged to support the fight against violence against women, women's empowerment, and women's health. To increase women's participation in economic and social life, municipal crèches and care services will be strengthened. The expansion of lighted roads, safe transportation routes, and camera systems will be supported to ensure women's safety. Physical spaces will be made more accessible to enable women with disabilities to participate more actively in social life. Efforts will also be made to increase women's leadership, and representation in decision-making mechanisms. To raise social awareness, conferences and panels on women's rights and equality will be organized.
What has been done in previous phases?
During the first two phases of the programme, from 2006–2010 and 2011–2015, Local Equality Mechanisms (LEMs) were established within the first 6, then 12 municipalities. These mechanisms, which consisted of units, commissions, and coordination structures, aimed to increase women's access to services and rights and ensure gender equality. Through these mechanisms, municipalities developed and implemented Local Equality Action Plans (LEAPs) that set out concrete goals and activities to address women's needs. In both phases, both public institutions and civil society organizations were supported on gender equality at the local level, and cooperation between them was strengthened.
25 municipalities included in the Women-Friendly Cities 3rd Phase:
