The “Women-Friendly Cities 3” programme kicked off with a signing ceremony in Ankara. The programme will be implemented by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, with the financial support of the European Union. The 3-year programme aims to support gender equality through municipal services, from the representation of women in decision-making mechanisms to enhancing the safety of public spaces for women in collaboration with 25 selected municipalities and local civil society organizations.
14 January 2025
ANKARA, TÜRKİYE - Municipalities, which are the institutions closest to citizens with their elected officials at the local level, and civil society organizations (CSOs) operating on the ground are also the pioneers of all kinds of work that will ensure equality in daily life in cities. In this context, strengthening municipalities and local CSOs, and increasing the efficiency of their collaboration are important tools to empower society. The third phase of the Women-Friendly Cities (WCF) Programme, which was first launched in 2006 for this purpose, will be implemented with the financial support of EUR 5 million from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA)-3 of the European Union, with the leadership of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and in partnership with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye. The programme, which starts as of 2025, was launched with a signing ceremony held in Ankara on Tuesday, January 14.
Within the scope of the three-year programme, 25 municipalities will be supported in terms of capacity development. In order to take steps to render women-friendly spaces in many different areas from health to protection, transportation and security to women's participation in decision-making mechanisms, local equality units will be established in these municipalities, and local equality action plans will be prepared and implemented. Thus, strengthening women's rights will become a fundamental area of work for local governments. Civil society organizations, with their local expertise and connections, will form a critical pillar of the programme and will support municipalities in reaching out to vulnerable groups, identifying problems, developing policies and provision of services.
In this context, various studies will be carried out in line with the needs of municipalities and NGOs to support the main goals of women-friendly cities. The establishment of women's counseling centers and women shelters will be promoted to combat violence against women, to empower women and to support women's health. Daycare and care services will be strengthened to increase women's participation in economic and social life. The spread of illuminated streets, safe transportation lines and camera systems will be supported for women's safety. Physical spaces will be made more accessible to ensure more active participation of women with disabilities in social life. Studies will be carried out to increase women's entrepreneurship, women's leadership and women's representation in decision-making mechanisms. In addition, conferences and panels will be organized on women's rights and equality in order to increase social awareness.
The signing ceremony of the programme was held with the participation of the Secretary General of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), Suat Yıldız, United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Türkiye Representative, Mariam A. Khan; Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, Bülent Özcan and the Head of the European Union Delegation to Türkiye Ambassador, Thomas Ossowski. The ceremony underlined the goals of this important cooperation and the programme.
Speaking at the event, the Secretary General of UMT Suat Yıldız conveyed UMT’s happiness to be a part of the Women Friendly Cities Programme, which supports municipalities to provide more inclusive and fair services, especially in terms of gender equality. Yıldız said; “I believe that this programme is an important start in improving the quality of life of women in cities, encouraging their participation in the workforce and ensuring gender equality.”
"The Women Friendly Cities (WFC) programme has been a flagship initiative in the Government of Turkiye-UNFPA collaboration,” said UNFPA Representative Mariam A. Khan, and added; “Driving transformative change, it helped define the concept of women-friendly cities in Türkiye. Building on the systems impact of its first two phases, the 3rd phase of the WFC will champion women's rights and foster gender equality in 25 new Municipalities."
Underscoring the importance of the cooperation between EU, UN and Türkiye, the Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, Bülent Özcan said; “Today, we are delighted to support an important programme such as Women Friendly Cities 3 with EU resources, in cooperation with UNFPA and UMT.”
Highlighting the contributions of the programme on gender equality, Head of the EU Delegation to Türkiye Ambassador Thomas Ossowski said; “It is an honour for me today, together with the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, UNFPA and the Directorate for EU affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the signing ceremony of the third phase of the Women Friendly Cities programme. This programme is a joint EU-Türkiye-UNFPA commitment to building a future where women’s safety, dignity, and health are systematically prioritized, and where women’s voices are integral to the shaping of our cities and communities.”
The WFC programme will strengthen women's rights and opportunities through services provided by municipalities, and will also provide significant support for creating women-friendly cities and ensuring equality between men and women at the local level. It will pave the way for lasting changes through the institutionalization of local equality mechanisms and action plans. Municipalities participating in the programme will lead the way for a solid foundation for development and prosperity at the local and then national levels by improving the quality of life in cities with a more inclusive and egalitarian administration approach that is sensitive to the needs of women and vulnerable groups.
Background: The Women Friendly Cities (WFC) is a pioneering programme that has been a brand value in UNFPA’s work in Türkiye for years, fundamentally affecting and changing the concept of women friendly cities on a national scale. This programme has played a transformative role not only in the creation of women friendly cities, but also in the institutionalization and spread of gender equality at the local level in local governments and civil society. The previous implementations of the programme, WFC I (2006-2010) and WFC II (2011-2015), provided a strong foundation for the development and implementation of Local Equality Action Mechanisms and Plans.
