|
UNDP’s gender project ‘Women in Politics’ was launched on May 30th, 2006 at the policy advisory workshop, ‘Local Policies on the Way to Gender Equality’. The workshop aimed to build on policy recommendations prepared by civil society partners of the UNDP to further the participation of women in politics in Turkey.
Sarah Poole, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP, at the launch, said that UNDP looks at women rights in different aspects such as familial, cultural, educational, political and social, and runs both international and local projects for the participation of women in politics. Giving examples of UNDP’s relevant international projects, Poole explained gender equality is much higher in Turkey than those countries; however there was still much to entitle women’s political rights, therefore this workshop was very important.
A member of Local Politics Working Group, Yıldız Tokman made a presentation at the workshop on ‘Local Policies on the Way to Gender Equality’, highlighted women’s under-representation in politics in Turkey and summarized KA-DER’s activities to change this fact. She said the Group’s goal is to set up a framework to create discussions through local policies on local gender inequities and its solutions. Tokman expressed the situation in figures that women are represented by % 2 in city councils and provincial councils which are elected decision-making organs of local administrations. Only 18 (% 0,6) out of 3234 mayors are women, while in EU member countries 1 out of 5 elected local administrators is woman, she added. (For more information on the presentation, please click here)
After the presentation, discussions took place on the preliminary policy report on ‘Local Policies on the Way to Gender Equality’. For more information on the report, please click here.
The workshop was organised by UNDP, KA-DER Ankara Local Politics Working Group and KAGIDER Women Fund.
|
