The training programme continues in 25 provinces for Women-Friendly Cities
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
The second phase of the training program organized under the third phase of the Women-Friendly Cities Programme is ongoing between 16 February and 25 March 2026, with the online participation of numerous municipal officials and civil society representatives across 25 partner provinces. Carried out under the coordination of the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the financial support of the European Union, the leadership of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the partnership of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), the training prepared within the scope of the programme launched at the end of 2024 aims to empower women in all areas of life in Türkiye. The training developed within this framework seeks to ensure an equality-based service approach in local governments and to institutionalize gender equality as a permanent governance standard within municipalities.
Trainings for women-friendly cities continue
The second phase of the WFC Programme’s training sessions aims to strengthen municipalities’ capacity to deliver gender-responsive services, enhance cooperation between municipalities and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and improve participatory urban planning capacities. Bringing together municipal and civil society representatives in this training programme also aimed to reinforce an inclusive and equality-based governance approach at the local level.
In line with these objectives, the training sessions covered the concept of “good governance,” emphasizing participatory and transparent decision-making processes; the development and implementation of Local Equality Action Plans (LEAPs); and gender-responsive data collection, analysis, evaluation, and reporting. In addition, participants were provided with detailed information on gender-responsive budgeting, as well as resource mobilization and access to funding for municipalities and CSOs.
Following the second phase of the training programme carried out under the WFC Programme, the third phase of the trainings will begin as of April 2026 in line with the Local Equality Action Plans, and will cover women’s participation in decision making mechanisms, equal access to health, employment, social and urban services, prevention of violence against women, urban resilience and crisis response, as well as communication and digital transformation, based on the themes of social services, urban services and urban resilience.
Long-Term Cooperation for Equal, Safe, and Inclusive Cities
Within the scope of the programme coordinated by the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, with 5 million Euros of financial support from the European Union, and implemented by UNFPA Türkiye in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, 25 municipalities from 7 regions of Türkiye will work together to ensure gender equality at the local level by November 2027.
