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LESSON

Lesson Learned: Empowerment of Women Citizens in Turkey

The work to prepare the 350 women trainees to be trainers themselves was less successful. This is, in part, the result of a design flaw in the project, whereby the Training of Trainers course was expected to both build awareness and train trainers. More fundamental was the limitation of what can be accomplished in an intensive five -day course, no matter how well taught and facilitated.
Project Partner
Association for Supporting and Training of Women Candidates
Project Description
The project aimed to raise women’s awareness of their rights as citizens, while also increasing the participation and representation of women in political life. To this end, the project aimed to increase the capacity of selected women’s NGOs in all seven regions of the country. The grantee developed a training-of-trainers’ (ToT) manual and a training guide; organized and delivered a ToT course in 14 centres, two in each region of the country; and encouraged the 350 graduates of the ToT program to each deliver training courses themselves, utilizing the manual and training guide. Deep gender disparities continued to exist in Turkish social and economic life, and many women were quite unaware of their rights as citizens. The project was directly relevant to this problem, as it sought to enhance the capacity of women activists, who were engaged with improving the lives of other women, by enhancing their knowledge of the concepts of gender equality, of women’s rights as citizens, and of practical measures which might be taken to enable women to defend themselves against injustice.
Evaluation Date
February 2012
Country