The Association for Women’s Freedom and Equality (Kadına Özgürlük ve Eşitlik Derneği – KOVED), based in Adana, is a strong advocate for women’s and LGBTI+ rights. By collaborating with local governments, public institutions, and civil society organisations, the association works to eliminate discrimination, improve access to justice, and foster social cohesion.
With grant support, KOVED launched a project to empower women in seven disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Adana. Seven women were selected and trained as community ambassadors for gender equality, each leading a team to raise awareness and promote access to rights.
Read our interview below to learn more about KOVED’s inspiring work in Adana.
Can you briefly tell us about KOVED’s mission and recent work?
At KOVED, we work to promote gender equality and defend the rights of women and other disadvantaged groups. In 2024, with support from the Support Foundation for Civil Society and Türkiye Mozaik Foundation, we launched the Adana Women’s Life Centre and have since applied for additional funding to continue this work.
We also received renewed funding from Fondation de France for our Samandağ Women’s Life Centre. In partnership with Flying Broom Women’s Communication and Research Association and with support from HURIDOCS, we conducted a field study in Adana on child, early, and forced marriages, which we submitted to the Universal Periodic Review.
Since September, we’ve been implementing the Women Community Ambassadors project through your Gender Equality Fund. In October, we launched another initiative—Equal Access to Justice for Disadvantaged Women—in collaboration with Freedom House and supported by the US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.
The crises of recent years have made it even harder for women to access basic rights and services.
How have the recent crises in Türkiye impacted your work?
Like many CSOs, we’ve felt the direct impact of ongoing crises. Our work targets disadvantaged areas, where challenges such as financial hardship, rising gender-based violence, and decreasing female labour force participation have become more acute.
In Adana, economic difficulties limit women’s participation in public life. Female representation among neighbourhood heads (muhtars) remains low. After the 2023 earthquakes, the city also saw a large influx of internally displaced people, creating a significant need for psychosocial support, especially for women and children.
One of the most urgent issues in Adana is the limited access to basic rights for women and children in marginalised communities. Many struggle with access to education, healthcare, and employment. The areas we work in are predominantly home to refugee and Roma populations.
What are the activities and outputs of the Women Community Ambassadors project?
We began with outreach and information sessions. Out of 32 applicants, we selected seven women to become community ambassadors, ensuring diverse representation across neighbourhoods and ethnic backgrounds.
In the following months, we held three two-day training sessions. We also met with the Deputy Mayor of Yüreğir Municipality, which led to a strong collaboration. The Directorate of Women and Family established regular contact with the ambassadors and invited them to take part in the newly launched Women’s Labour Market, where they could sell handmade goods and generate household income.
As part of our social cohesion work, we held a shared meal with the ambassadors, and in December, organised a New Year’s celebration where participants received transportation and shopping cards. The ambassadors are now forming their own teams of seven women each and will begin sharing what they’ve learned with their communities. Visits to public institutions are also being scheduled.
What challenges have you identified among women in these neighbourhoods, and how have they responded to your work?
The issues we’ve encountered mirror what we observed at the Women’s Life Centre: child and forced marriage, low literacy, limited access to public services, and lack of visibility in public spaces. Many households have family members who have been involved in the criminal justice system. Roma women face discrimination, and Roma children often leave school due to bullying.
Most women were already connected to our Centre. This project helped strengthen those relationships and build trust. We reached them through community centres, home visits, and prior networks. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
How did you select the Women Community Ambassadors?
We selected ambassadors from among women who had expressed interest in the project. We prioritised ethnic diversity and neighbourhood representation, and looked for women with strong community ties, good communication skills, and the ability to lead. Each ambassador is expected to train and support her own team, so social engagement and leadership potential were key.
The project has not only empowered individual women, but also enabled them to support and inform others.
What kind of impact has the project had on women’s lives?
This project has created a strong platform for solidarity. It has not only empowered individual women, but also enabled them to support and inform others. The ambassadors gained confidence through our trainings and meetings with public officials. They’ve become more active in public life and developed a deeper understanding of their rights.
Women who previously met in small groups at the Centre now gather in larger, more connected circles. They report feeling more confident in family relationships and more involved in decision-making at home. We’ve also seen stronger neighbourly ties—tea gatherings and shared activities have become more common. There’s also been a noticeable increase in children benefiting from the Centre’s services.
Each participant received a notebook with basic legal information, including Law No. 6284, the Istanbul Convention, the KADES mobile app, and guidance on petition writing. Many women began submitting petitions to local authorities on everyday issues such as waste collection or unsafe parks. They’ve become advocates for their communities—and often speak of how empowering the process has been.
Some women have shared powerful success stories. One ambassador began selling her handmade goods at the Women’s Labour Market. Another became a neighbourhood representative in the Women’s Council of Yüreğir Municipality. Others helped their children access scholarships through CSO referrals. These outcomes show how the project fosters not only individual empowerment but also collective action and community change.
What are the most urgent gender equality issues in Adana, and what are your recommendations?
The low participation of women in decision-making roles is a key issue. Support services for women facing violence are limited, and there are major inequalities in access to education and justice. The crises of recent years, especially the earthquakes, have further restricted women’s access to essential services.
We believe local authorities must develop gender-sensitive policies. Expanding training programmes to increase women’s labour force participation and building strong psychosocial support networks are critical. Adult literacy programmes are also urgently needed.
Raising awareness about gender equality and supporting women to advocate for their rights is vital. Strengthening local CSOs is also essential for lasting change.
For the first time, I feel like I matter. I now know I can make decisions about my life.
Is there anything you’d like to share with the donors who supported this project?
One of the most powerful moments for us is seeing the hope in a woman’s eyes when she says, “I can finally make my voice heard—and that makes me feel strong.” After a training session, one woman told us, “For the first time, I feel like I matter. I now know I can make decisions about my life.” Another found the courage to speak in front of a group for the first time.
These moments show how deeply our work touches people’s lives. With continued donor support, we’re confident we can reach even more women and children and contribute to building a more equal society.
What kind of support do you need to continue your work?
We urgently need more funding and resources. We aim to expand collaborations with local authorities and other CSOs to extend our reach. Capacity-building for our team and community stakeholders is also critical for developing stronger and more sustainable solutions.
We plan to expand neighbourhood-based gender equality education and launch programmes focused on masculinity and gender norms. We’re currently developing these initiatives and providing supervision for our team.
We also want to improve our visibility and outreach. For example, we don’t yet have a website, but we’re working toward building a stronger digital presence to connect with more people and amplify our work.
