Women-Friendly Cities: Niğde Municipality
- tco-comms
- Jan 14
- 4 min read
The 3rd phase of the Women-Friendly Cities Programme has been launched with the participation of municipalities from 25 provinces across Türkiye’s seven regions. As part of the three-year programme, provincial municipalities and local civil society organizations will work together to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality in all areas, in line with local needs and dynamics. Niğde Municipality is also one of the programme partners.
Niğde, Türkiye - Under the coordination of the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the financial support of the European Union, in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, and implemented by United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, the third phase of the Women-Friendly Cities Programme, has been launched with the participation of 25 municipalities. Niğde is one of them.
Niğde Municipality has established a Gender Equality Unit at the municipality within the framework of the Women-Friendly Cities Programme in order to promote women’s empowerment and gender equality in all areas, institutionalize its ongoing efforts, and ensure their sustainability. Niğde also became the first programme municipality to draft and adopt a Regulation for the Gender Equality Unit through its Municipal Council. With this regulation, the municipality aims to further strengthen, expand and diversify the women-friendly services and initiatives it is already implementing.
Niğde Municipality also carries out a wide range of initiatives to increase women’s employment and support their economic empowerment. While creating entrepreneurship opportunities for women to establish cooperatives, the municipality also supports 12 women’s cooperatives operating in diverse fields, from gluten-free food and baked goods to local products such as cheese and jam, as well as gift and handicraft production. In addition, women are provided with employment opportunities within various municipal institutions.
Niğde Bağları Cooperative is one of the cooperatives supported by the Municipality. The head, Gülsüm Temur, says that by producing specialized products for children with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, they both support women’s employment and help meet an important need. “We established our cooperative to both make use of what we produce at home and contribute to the economy. We set out with the motto that strong women, strong families, and strong state,” she says.
Another supported cooperative, the Tyana Women’s Cooperative, also contributes to women’s economic and social empowerment. The head, Nazan Çağnak, says that their main goal in establishing the cooperative was to create employment opportunities for women and support their social participation. “We wanted to create a space where women can both take part in production and self-development,” she says.
Güler Öztürk, the Head of the Yeşilburç Women’s Cooperative, says that with the support of the governor’s office and the municipality, they were able to transform what they had been producing at home for years, such as bread, tomato paste, noodles and tarhana, into a sustainable livelihood, turning their everyday efforts into a profession. “We are 11 women now, and with continued support we will grow even further and become even stronger,” she says.
The municipality also uses products made by women’s cooperatives both to support women and to bring Niğde’s local flavours to a wider audience. Through the Tabal Gastronomy House* named after the Neo-Hittite ancient city in Niğde and operated entirely by women, the municipality not only creates employment for women but also promotes Niğde through the local products they produce.
Niğde’nin kadın istihdamına destek veren ve büyük çoğunluğu kadın işçilerden oluşan bir de ekmek fabrikası var. Kadınlar burada, hem meslek öğreniyor hem de bir gelir kaynağı oluşturuyor. Fabrikada çalışan kadınlardan Filiz Karaketir; “4 senedir burada çalışıyorum. Daha önce bir iş hayatım yoktu. Ev hanımıydım. Mesleğimi burada öğrendim. Hem kendi işimi yapıyorum. Hem de ayaklarımın üstünde durabiliyorum,” diyor. Hanife Musalli ise, istihdama katılımın kadınların özgüvenini artırdığını vurguluyor: “Böyle olunca kadınlar daha güçlü oluyor. İstediği zaman kadının yapamayacağı hiçbir şey yok.”
Implemented by UNFPA Türkiye under the coordination of the Directorate for EU Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the financial support of the European Union and in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, the Women-Friendly Cities Programme will run until the end of 2027 and aims to ensure that change in women’s empowerment and gender equality starts at the local level.Within this framework, the programme seeks to scale up effective and sustainable good practices across Türkiye through the cooperation of 25 provincial municipalities and more than 200 civil society organizations operating in these provinces.
*Tabal Niğde Gastronomy House was selected for the Michelin Guide 2026, becoming the first municipally operated establishment to be included in the Guide in Michelin’s 125-year history.
