UNFPA Türkiye, in collaboration with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, launched the "She Can Plan" campaign. Held at the Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Istanbul, the event brought together diverse voices from several backgrounds to highlight the urgent need for creating an environment where women have full control over their bodies, lives and futures to develop and realize their full potential in all aspects of life. 

ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE  –   UNFPA Türkiye organized a launch event for the "She Can Plan" campaign in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The campaign calls for coming together to empower women and girls by promoting gender equality with equal rights and choices. The event was hosted by the Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Istanbul, with the participation of the representatives from the public and private sector, international community, civil society and media. Ayşe Böhürler, MP and the Representative of the Turkish Parliament Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men; Joep Wijnands, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Türkiye; Mariam A. Khan, UNFPA Türkiye Representative and Aslı İnandık, actress, UNFPA Türkiye’s dear supporter were the opening speakers.

Şirin, the face of the She Can Plan campaign, carries the voices of millions of women in her own story. Together with Şirin, the campaign supports gender equality and women's empowerment by bringing to light the discrimination women face. The campaign calls all stakeholders for action to put an end to gender inequality to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all women and girls.

Moderated by the journalist Afşin Yurdakul, the event started with a video that highlighted the challenges women face due to gender inequality and introduced the campaign's "She" character, Şirin. Yurdakul elaborated on Şirin, who embodies the voices of millions of women from Türkiye. She emphasized that her story reflected the experiences of all women and girls in Türkiye.

In the opening speeches, Joep Wijnands, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Türkiye, highlighted the gender disparity in right to choose remains one of the most persistent and pressing issues, emphasizing the need for collective action to uphold women's rights: "Together we are able to support the rights of choices of women and girls to decide for themselves. Together we can secure a more peaceful and sustainable future for all," he said.

Following, in her opening speech, Mariam A. Khan, UNFPA Türkiye Representative, emphasized the importance of collaboration in creating human capital for gender equality. She highlighted that when women are empowered, educated, skilled, and economically independent, they can create a better future for themselves, their families, and communities; "We need to accelerate, we need to do more, we need to do better and we need to do it more together. So that she can plan, she can plan her education, she can plan her career, she can plan her family."

Ayşe Böhürler, MP and Representative of the Turkish Parliament Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, discussed the government's initiatives for women-men equality, highlighting that despite these efforts, women continue to face numerous obstacles and prejudices and that the struggle for women's rights remains strong. "As a female politician, what I care about the most is strengthening the education of girls. The more education we give them, the more they are encouraged to take an equal and fair place in society." she said.

Actress and UNFPA Türkiye’s dear supporter Aslı İnandık passionately added her voice to the campaign by declaring; "Today, on this floor, I add my voice to Şirin's voice and even to the voices of all women, and I repeat it loudly once again; #SheCanPlan!" She highlighted the need for women to have control over their bodies, lives and futures, urging for stronger collective action.

The first session of the event ended with a surprise flash-mob acapella performance by the ITU Musical Ensemble, adding a lively twist and making the campaign's message heard with creativity and empowerment with the support of music.

The second session featured an in-depth panel discussion moderated by Afşin Yurdakul, emphasizing that all segments of society have a responsibility for women's empowerment. Panelists included Public Health Expert Prof. Pınar Okyay, Solmaz Managing Director Billur Barlın, Co-Founder of We Need to Talk Association and UN Youth Leader İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu, and UNFPA Türkiye SRH Programme Coordinator Dr. Gökhan Yıldırımkaya. They discussed how academia, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations can contribute to advancing women's health and rights, calling for unity and collective action.

The fight for gender equality and reproductive rights is an ongoing one. UNFPA Türkiye calls for turning words and promises into concrete actions for women's empowerment. We encourage everyone to support the campaign by using the hashtags #KadınPlanlayabilir and #SheCanPlan and spread awareness through social media.

For more details about the campaign, visit here.