The protracted nature of the Syrian crisis, coupled with the huge influx of Syrian refugees into Türkiye, has led to increased demographic and economic pressure. The influx of Syrian refugees and the nature of Türkiye’s protracted crisis have increased the competition between host and refugee communities over scarce resources and income-generating opportunities. This tension negatively affected social cohesion by fueling refugee-host community tensions and fostering an environment conducive to violence, especially amongst adolescents and youth.
The program sought to empower women, in tandem with reducing their vulnerability, by addressing the root causes that culminate into the daily challenges they encounter, through:
- Engaging men and boys in awareness-raising activities and dialogue on Gender-Based Violence and Women’s Empowerment given that “gender equality can only be achieved if men and boys take full responsibility, working side by side with women and girls, to redress the dynamics that hinder progress”
- Promoting and institutionalizing interaction between solidarity groups, women, local authorities (Muktars and municipal council representatives/authorities) through training and capacity building conducive to lending the “refugee community a voice”, which leads to improved empowerment and representation;
- Enhancing social cohesion and integration between women from the host and refugee communities, in tandem with increasing the women’s participation in the public sphere, whilst reducing their social isolation that emanates from displacement and restrictive social norms.
The project aimed to reduce the social isolation of vulnerable Syrian women living in Mardin and Kilis. The project proposed various activities such as;
- Awareness-raising sessions on hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, and sexual and reproductive health (SRH),
- Training to help Syrian and host community women build a dialogue about the common problems and identify solutions together,
- Building the capacity of women NGOs, solidarity groups and local authorities (Muktars and municipal council representatives/authorities) to engage refugees effectively and lead efforts supportive of social cohesion to reduce inter and intra-community tensions in Mardin and Kilis,
- Implementing men-engaging programs to educate men and mobilize their support for women’s economic empowerment and against gender-based violence,
- Conducting awareness-raising sessions for men and boys with complimentary messages related to women’s economic empowerment in Mardin and Kilis.
This project, completed between July 2019 and March 2020, was implemented in partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Türkiye.