They make a difference, they dare, they change. Meet our pioneering women who break boundaries, focus on solutions instead of problems and prioritize social benefit above all else.
Tülin Akın
Tülin Akın founded TABİT Agricultural Marketing Platform in 2004 when she was still a student. Through this website, she aimed to provide farmers with up-to-date information, technical application information, various skills and professional development opportunities and created an opportunity for farmers to access alternative markets without using traditional intermediary structures. The portal, which farmers access via text message or the internet, now serves more than three million farmers both in Turkey and abroad. Tülin Akın also launched Vodafone Smart Village in cooperation with Vodafone to encourage farmers to use technology in rural life and continues her projects in this field.
Selin Gören
What is climate justice, where did you start and where are you today?
Since my childhood, the place where I felt the happiest was nature. I grew up listening to Open Radio, so the injustices we do to nature as a human species, our claim on nature and our selfishness have always been issues that I have been concerned about since my childhood. In high school, I was introduced to permaculture and restorative agriculture. I learned about the climate crisis and ecological destruction and started researching this issue. I started by organizing climate strikes, explaining my concerns and solutions at conferences, trying to reach more people every day. One of the issues I emphasize most in my work is climate justice. Because the climate crisis affects every human being, but vulnerable communities more and faster. However, they have the least contribution to the climate crisis. So there is a terrible injustice here. As in every crisis, men and women, rich and poor, urban and rural are not in the same risk group. This is why we say, "Climate justice is also a matter of social justice."
You are actively involved in Fridays For Future and Yuvam Dünya movements. What have you been doing recently and what are your goals?
In May 2019, I met the climate movement in Turkey at a climate meeting organized by the Green Thought Association and started organizing the movement among high schools in Turkey. Together we organized five global climate strikes, including our Kadıköy strike on September 20, 2019. In the summer of the same year, Atlas Sarrafoğlu, who started the movement in Turkey, and I attended the global climate activists summit in Lausanne. There we worked with Greta Thunberg and thousands of other young activists, developed solutions for the climate and discussed the future of the movement. Another important part of my activism journey is Yuvam Dünya. In our work with Yuvam Dünya, our biggest focus points are the green transformation of the private sector, including the climate crisis in the curriculum and conveying this crisis to people in the right way. Our climate crisis curriculum project has been successful and is already being implemented at Bahçeşehir College. The solution to the climate crisis is green energy, and the authorities that will make green energy a part of life are companies, politicians and investors. We thought, "How can we tell people about the climate disasters that are accelerating day by day all over the world, while giving them hope for the future?" and I think we succeeded very well.
You are studying at Yale University and working at the Yale Climate Communication Program. Can you tell us about this initiative?
I'm studying Environmental Science and Energy at Yale University. Climate activism is not just a youthful fad for me, it's what I want to do in the future. Because there are no jobs in a dead world. There are initiatives I work with at Yale. With our club called EECO, we teach environmental science to elementary school students in New Haven, where Yale is located. We have a movement called EJC (Endowment Justice Coalition) that campaigns for Yale to divest from fossil fuels. I also work with the Yale Program on Climate Communication, where we measure the climate crisis awareness of different states in the US and conduct research on how we need to change our message to mobilize different groups.
In a world order where consumption is at the forefront, where should we start and what steps should we take?
We are in a growth-oriented economic system. We need to make this system circular, as in Kate Raworth's theory of the doughnut, which is a big goal that is hard to achieve, but the way to achieve it is through small steps. As consumers, there are many actions we can take, such as not buying what we don't need, trading our old clothes, shopping from local brands that value nature and people.
Arzu Karatas
After she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Arzu Karataş made a decision during her treatment. She wanted to provide financial and moral support to make women feel that they are not alone in this difficult treatment. The Pink Traces Women's Cancers Association, which Karataş founded with her close friends, raises awareness about all cancers that women go through, especially breast cancer, and undertakes the treatment of patients with limited financial means. They also donate wigs to women whose hair has fallen out during the treatment process to boost their morale.
Ayşe Tükrükçü
On embracing life with the creator and mother of the idea of the Sarıl Hayata Sarıl Lokantası, which feeds the homeless every night in Beyoğlu.
You were subjected to domestic physical and sexual violence in your childhood; as an adult, you worked as a sex worker and lived on the streets. How did you hold on to life when all this was quite heavy?
I am one of those who try both to make something out of nothing and to exist out of nothing. I told the society, "I am here!"
What was your dream when you founded the Embrace Life Association and Restaurant?
When I was living on the street, I acted by thinking about what I needed.
I always say work, love, life. At the beginning, we provided job opportunities for six homeless friends here. We gave them kitchen and hygiene trainings.
We are still continuing this. It is very important for me that people living on the streets are treated as human beings and have a sentence in society. That's why, as an association, we strive for them to work with insurance and to bring them to life.
What would you like to say about people who are ignored and marginalized by society, especially the homeless?
It is not our fault to be homeless. If my team can give a chance to someone like me who has lived on the streets, imagine what you can do.
Ayşe Arman
The motto of Ayşe Arman, who works with women's organizations, cancer associations and foundations that underline gender equality, and has raised more than 2 million TL for 48 non-governmental organizations with her Goodness Necklaces project: "Giving is better than receiving!"
What do you think makes a woman a "pioneer"?
Being visionary. Pursuing new ideas. Working for social benefit. Striving for gender equality. Speaking out against all kinds of injustice and lawlessness. Believing that a woman is a sister, not a wolf. To look out for their sisters. Thinking about "us" rather than "me".
How did you overcome the difficulties and obstacles you faced in life?
By believing in myself! Giving up is not in my book. I don't give up. I do what I set my mind to. The harder the better! Good things don't come easy. Obstacles are a fact of life. But they're there to overcome. Of course we'll fall into small potholes. But then we will get out and continue on our way.
What is your suggestion for those who want to benefit their environment but don't know where to start?
Let them choose a field for themselves, there are wonderful non-governmental organizations. Let them start working in one of them. Giving is better than receiving. There is nothing like the happiness of doing social good. Because you feel that you are useful. There is nothing beyond that!
You continue your work in an alternative medium to the mainstream media. You also have a bolder tone now. What would you say if you compare the two mediums? Mainstream media, my old life, it was good, it's over. I don't look back. The past is the past. Yes, it made me who I am, it taught me many things. But now it is gone. Niyazi is gone (laughs). I am living my new life now, free as a bird. I do and write whatever my heart desires. But of course, in those 30 years, I made great friends, worked with great minds and produced beautiful work. I only miss that collective energy. I watch with sadness as freedom of the press and the profession called journalism are disappearing in our country.
How did you manage to make yourself a more useful person to yourself and your environment?
Thank you very much. I am happy if that is really the case! I love working shoulder to shoulder with non-governmental organizations, supporting them as much as I can with my strength from journalism, creating resources. I am in contact with women's organizations. I am also in contact with cancer associations. And foundations that emphasize gender equality. But there is so much more to do. This is actually the reason why I entered the Goodness Necklaces. Necklace is an excuse, social good is great!
Goodness Necklaces started with a small dream. Now it is a huge goodness movement. What happened during this time?
Goodness Necklaces started with a small dream. Now it is a huge kindness movement. What happened during this time?
First I was making those necklaces for myself. Three or four years ago, an organization wanted to buy necklaces from me as a gift for their female employees on Women's Day. I was very surprised. I said, "I don't sell necklaces!" They insisted. "Then let's do it like this," I said: "You pay for the education expenses of Mari Kasparyan's son Arda, who has autism, and the necklaces are yours!" And it was a lot of money. They paid it. I said.
And I shared photos of that institution on Instagram, of its women with necklaces of goodness around their necks. Having a high number of followers is a social media power. And this power affects organizations. The rest came. I worked with nearly 80 institutions, raised more than 2 million liras for 48 non-governmental organizations. I participated in thousands of events with the necklaces. I sold them everywhere you can think of. We have a Goodness Workshop in Bodrum in olive trees. Every week, we string necklaces with hundreds of women for the benefit of different non-governmental organizations. We also do dance workshops with my daughter. It's amazing. We are useful!
Başak Taşpınar Değim
"Everyone can come up with good ideas. The hard thing is to take the first step."
Değim's successful entrepreneurship story was actually born out of his needs. After graduating from Boğaziçi University, Department of Civil Engineering, Değim completed his master's degree in the USA and worked as a manager in important companies.
He made a definite return to Turkey with his wife. During the relocation process, he had difficulty in finding quality services, so he founded armut.com in 2011 with the slogan of "Service is in my mouth". Founded with a personal capital of 50,000 TL, Armut is today one of the fastest growing internet startups in Turkey with more than 600,000 service providers in more than 4,000 categories such as renovation, transportation, cleaning and repair.
Canan Dağdeviren
The physics engineer and inventor, who leads the Conformable Decoders research group in the field of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of America's leading universities, is proud of his achievements. Dağdeviren, who is the first Turkish scientist to be elected as a member of Harvard University's Young Academy and has been included in the lists of prestigious publications such as Forbes and MIT Technology Review, has developed a wearable heart chip that works without batteries and a device that makes it easier to diagnose skin cancer, based on the diseases of his family members.
Buket Uzuner
Writer Buket Uzuner, who has written works to raise awareness on climate change and worked in the muhtar committee for women's participation in governance, says, "Come out of your cover, cocoon, comfort or protection zone and reach out to others."
What do you think makes a woman a pioneer?
I think pioneering people have more in common with each other than with their own siblings. Pioneers are visionary, curious, innovative, sincere and brave enough to stand up for what they do or believe in, and opinionated. I know you asked me about pioneering women, not pioneering people. I chose human beings because I wanted to underline the fact that human beings still do not include women - even young people and children - even today. This is precisely why pioneering women, in addition to the qualities and virtues I have listed above, need to be much more courageous, much more determined, much more resistant to loneliness and other prices to be paid than men.
Climate change is increasing its impact on our lives every day. What duties do you think individuals have to put a stop to this issue?
First of all, we should start by recognizing that we humans are not the masters of nature, but only a part of it. Then we need to accept that water, soil, air and all non-human creatures also have rights on this planet and we need to relearn to consume only what we need and to live simply. We need to explain these things to our environment, starting with our family and friends. We should not underestimate the need for ecology classes in kindergartens and petitions for democratic pressure on governments to invest in renewable energy. There are young people working in the "Youth for Climate Turkey" group, which is the reflection of the "Justice for Climate" school boycott movement initiated by a young Swedish pioneer named Greta Thunberg. I support!
What is your advice for those who want to benefit their environment but don't know where to start?
Goodness Necklaces started with a small dream. Now it is a huge kindness movement. What happened during this time?
First I was making those necklaces for myself. Three or four years ago, an organization wanted to buy necklaces from me as a gift for their female employees on Women's Day. I was very surprised. I said, "I don't sell necklaces!" They insisted. "Then let's do it like this," I said: "You pay for the education expenses of Mari Kasparyan's son Arda, who has autism, and the necklaces are yours!" And it was a lot of money. They paid it. I said.
And I shared photos of that institution on Instagram, of its women with necklaces of goodness around their necks. Having a high number of followers is a social media power. And this power affects organizations. The rest came. I worked with nearly 80 institutions, raised more than 2 million liras for 48 non-governmental organizations. I participated in thousands of events with the necklaces. I sold them everywhere you can think of. We have a Goodness Workshop in Bodrum in olive trees. Every week, we string necklaces with hundreds of women for the benefit of different non-governmental organizations. We also do dance workshops with my daughter. It's amazing. We are useful!
Başak Taşpınar Değim
"Everyone can come up with good ideas. The hard thing is to take the first step."
Değim's successful entrepreneurship story was actually born out of his needs. After graduating from Boğaziçi University, Department of Civil Engineering, Değim completed his master's degree in the USA and worked as a manager in important companies.
He made a definite return to Turkey with his wife. During the relocation process, he had difficulty in finding quality services, so he founded armut.com in 2011 with the slogan of "Service is in my mouth". Founded with a personal capital of 50,000 TL, Armut is today one of the fastest growing internet startups in Turkey with more than 600,000 service providers in more than 4,000 categories such as renovation, transportation, cleaning and repair.
Canan Dağdeviren
The physics engineer and inventor, who leads the Conformable Decoders research group in the field of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of America's leading universities, is proud of his achievements. Dağdeviren, who is the first Turkish scientist to be elected as a member of Harvard University's Young Academy and has been included in the lists of prestigious publications such as Forbes and MIT Technology Review, has developed a wearable heart chip that works without batteries and a device that makes it easier to diagnose skin cancer, based on the diseases of his family members.
Buket Uzuner
Writer Buket Uzuner, who has written works to raise awareness on climate change and worked in the muhtar committee for women's participation in governance, says, "Come out of your cover, cocoon, comfort or protection zone and reach out to others."
What do you think makes a woman a pioneer?
I think pioneering people have more in common with each other than with their own siblings. Pioneers are visionary, curious, innovative, sincere and brave enough to stand up for what they do or believe in, and opinionated. I know you asked me about pioneering women, not pioneering people. I chose human beings because I wanted to underline the fact that human beings still do not include women - even young people and children - even today. This is precisely why pioneering women, in addition to the qualities and virtues I have listed above, need to be much more courageous, much more determined, much more resistant to loneliness and other prices to be paid than men.
Climate change is increasing its impact on our lives every day. What duties do you think individuals have to put a stop to this issue?
First of all, we should start by recognizing that we humans are not the masters of nature, but only a part of it. Then we need to accept that water, soil, air and all non-human creatures also have rights on this planet and we need to relearn to consume only what we need and to live simply. We need to explain these things to our environment, starting with our family and friends. We should not underestimate the need for ecology classes in kindergartens and petitions for democratic pressure on governments to invest in renewable energy. There are young people working in the "Youth for Climate Turkey" group, which is the reflection of the "Justice for Climate" school boycott movement initiated by a young Swedish pioneer named Greta Thunberg. I support!
What is your advice for those who want to benefit their environment but don't know where to start?
Goodness Necklaces started with a small dream. Now it is a huge kindness movement. What happened during this time?
First I was making those necklaces for myself. Three or four years ago, an organization wanted to buy necklaces from me as a gift for their female employees on Women's Day. I was very surprised. I said, "I don't sell necklaces!" They insisted. "Then let's do it like this," I said: "You pay for the education expenses of Mari Kasparyan's son Arda, who has autism, and the necklaces are yours!" And it was a lot of money. They paid it. I said.
And I shared photos of that institution on Instagram, of its women with necklaces of goodness around their necks. Having a high number of followers is a social media power. And this power affects organizations. The rest came. I worked with nearly 80 institutions, raised more than 2 million liras for 48 non-governmental organizations. I participated in thousands of events with the necklaces. I sold them everywhere you can think of. We have a Goodness Workshop in Bodrum in olive trees. Every week, we string necklaces with hundreds of women for the benefit of different non-governmental organizations. We also do dance workshops with my daughter. It's amazing. We are useful!
Başak Taşpınar Değim
"Everyone can come up with good ideas. The hard thing is to take the first step."
Değim's successful entrepreneurship story was actually born out of his needs. After graduating from Boğaziçi University, Department of Civil Engineering, Değim completed his master's degree in the USA and worked as a manager in important companies.
He made a definite return to Turkey with his wife. During the relocation process, he had difficulty in finding quality services, so he founded armut.com in 2011 with the slogan of "Service is in my mouth". Founded with a personal capital of 50,000 TL, Armut is today one of the fastest growing internet startups in Turkey with more than 600,000 service providers in more than 4,000 categories such as renovation, transportation, cleaning and repair.
Canan Dağdeviren
The physics engineer and inventor, who leads the Conformable Decoders research group in the field of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of America's leading universities, is proud of his achievements. Dağdeviren, who is the first Turkish scientist to be elected as a member of Harvard University's Young Academy and has been included in the lists of prestigious publications such as Forbes and MIT Technology Review, has developed a wearable heart chip that works without batteries and a device that makes it easier to diagnose skin cancer, based on the diseases of his family members.
Buket Uzuner
Writer Buket Uzuner, who has written works to raise awareness on climate change and worked in the muhtar committee for women's participation in governance, says, "Come out of your cover, cocoon, comfort or protection zone and reach out to others."
What do you think makes a woman a pioneer?
I think pioneering people have more in common with each other than with their own siblings. Pioneers are visionary, curious, innovative, sincere and brave enough to stand up for what they do or believe in, and opinionated. I know you asked me about pioneering women, not pioneering people. I chose human beings because I wanted to underline the fact that human beings still do not include women - even young people and children - even today. This is precisely why pioneering women, in addition to the qualities and virtues I have listed above, need to be much more courageous, much more determined, much more resistant to loneliness and other prices to be paid than men.
Climate change is increasing its impact on our lives every day. What duties do you think individuals have to put a stop to this issue?
First of all, we should start by recognizing that we humans are not the masters of nature, but only a part of it. Then we need to accept that water, soil, air and all non-human creatures also have rights on this planet and we need to relearn to consume only what we need and to live simply. We need to explain these things to our environment, starting with our family and friends. We should not underestimate the need for ecology classes in kindergartens and petitions for democratic pressure on governments to invest in renewable energy. There are young people working in the "Youth for Climate Turkey" group, which is the reflection of the "Justice for Climate" school boycott movement initiated by a young Swedish pioneer named Greta Thunberg. I support!
What is your advice for those who want to benefit their environment but don't know where to start?
Goodness Necklaces started with a small dream. Now it is a huge kindness movement. What happened during this time?
First I was making those necklaces for myself. Three or four years ago, an organization wanted to buy necklaces from me as a gift for their female employees on Women's Day. I was very surprised. I said, "I don't sell necklaces!" They insisted. "Then let's do it like this," I said: "You pay for the education expenses of Mari Kasparyan's son Arda, who has autism, and the necklaces are yours!" And it was a lot of money. They paid it. I said.
And I shared photos of that institution on Instagram, of its women with necklaces of goodness around their necks. Having a high number of followers is a social media power. And this power affects organizations. The rest came. I worked with nearly 80 institutions, raised more than 2 million liras for 48 non-governmental organizations. I participated in thousands of events with the necklaces. I sold them everywhere you can think of. We have a Goodness Workshop in Bodrum in olive trees. Every week, we string necklaces with hundreds of women for the benefit of different non-governmental organizations. We also do dance workshops with my daughter. It's amazing. We are useful!
Başak Taşpınar Değim
"Everyone can come up with good ideas. The hard thing is to take the first step."
Değim's successful entrepreneurship story was actually born out of his needs. After graduating from Boğaziçi University, Department of Civil Engineering, Değim completed his master's degree in the USA and worked as a manager in important companies.
He made a definite return to Turkey with his wife. During the relocation process, he had difficulty in finding quality services, so he founded armut.com in 2011 with the slogan of "Service is in my mouth". Founded with a personal capital of 50,000 TL, Armut is today one of the fastest growing internet startups in Turkey with more than 600,000 service providers in more than 4,000 categories such as renovation, transportation, cleaning and repair.
Canan Dağdeviren
The physics engineer and inventor, who leads the Conformable Decoders research group in the field of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of America's leading universities, is proud of his achievements. Dağdeviren, who is the first Turkish scientist to be elected as a member of Harvard University's Young Academy and has been included in the lists of prestigious publications such as Forbes and MIT Technology Review, has developed a wearable heart chip that works without batteries and a device that makes it easier to diagnose skin cancer, based on the diseases of his family members.
Buket Uzuner
Writer Buket Uzuner, who has written works to raise awareness on climate change and worked in the muhtar committee for women's participation in governance, says, "Come out of your cover, cocoon, comfort or protection zone and reach out to others."
What do you think makes a woman a pioneer?
I think pioneering people have more in common with each other than with their own siblings. Pioneers are visionary, curious, innovative, sincere and brave enough to stand up for what they do or believe in, and opinionated. I know you asked me about pioneering women, not pioneering people. I chose human beings because I wanted to underline the fact that human beings still do not include women - even young people and children - even today. This is precisely why pioneering women, in addition to the qualities and virtues I have listed above, need to be much more courageous, much more determined, much more resistant to loneliness and other prices to be paid than men.
Climate change is increasing its impact on our lives every day. What duties do you think individuals have to put a stop to this issue?
First of all, we should start by recognizing that we humans are not the masters of nature, but only a part of it. Then we need to accept that water, soil, air and all non-human creatures also have rights on this planet and we need to relearn to consume only what we need and to live simply. We need to explain these things to our environment, starting with our family and friends. We should not underestimate the need for ecology classes in kindergartens and petitions for democratic pressure on governments to invest in renewable energy. There are young people working in the "Youth for Climate Turkey" group, which is the reflection of the "Justice for Climate" school boycott movement initiated by a young Swedish pioneer named Greta Thunberg. I support!
What is your advice for those who want to benefit their environment but don't know where to start?
If one really wants to feel alive and do good to others, one has to get out of the life in a jar and participate in real life. Even a very busy person has a few minutes to spare for others. Come out of your cocoon, out of your cocoon, out of your comfort or protection zone, make friends from outside your social circle, from different classes, get to know other people's cultures. See that others are people like you and let them help you and you help them. Join reading groups, even online, go to exhibitions, meet new people, collect books for book donations to schools. Make children happy. Consume less, live more simply. When you start respecting yourself, the world will become beautiful.
Cansu Yıldıran
Born in 1996, Yıldıran's work is based on her personal experiences, and is concerned with discrimination based on belonging, class, culture, gender or sexual identity. Yıldıran's work has been featured in many publications and exhibitions, including the British Journal of Photography, The Guardian and Dazed, and she also takes photographs for The New York Times. "I care about talking about stories that maybe no one will look back on and addressing the general by starting from the local," says Yıldıran about his creative process in an interview.
"Maybe I care about telling stories that no one will ever look back on and speaking to the general by starting from the local." - CANSU YILDIRAN
Defne Koryürek
We listen to food activist Defne Koryürek, founder of Fikir Sahibi Damaklar, a slow food community.
You are a pioneering woman in food activism. What do you think is the biggest danger that awaits us in agriculture and food in the near future?
Famine awaits us. We have turned Anatolia, which we bragged about as the place where agriculture first came to life, into a geography without peasants. With the policies of the last 50-60 years, we have destroyed the farmer who protects his seed, produces his product with traditional methods, internalized the rules of the cycle without residues and additions, that is, the peasant who has lived in the countryside for generations and has been able to live off what he produces. Then we persistently disrupted the climate, destroyed the balance of the planet. We are arrogant. We think that the automobile we drive, the coal we burn, the natural gas that heats our homes are not an added burden; we always think that others cause destruction. If we add the predictable but preferably ignored risks of possible international tensions and trade relations, I think the picture is complete. It is very difficult to say that we do not deserve this scarcity and the wars, migrations and destruction that will come with it.
Industrial agriculture and animal husbandry are causing serious damage to the ecosystem. Do you think governments and big companies are doing enough to change this situation?
The Anthropocene, the geological epoch in which human activity has a dominant impact on climate and the environment, and in which we are already living, can also be referred to as the age of engineers and corporations. Not only the giant steel structures that we admire, but also the dozens of buy-and-consume products, from food
We are in a time when agriculture is the result of engineering. It is a luxury to know who produces your bread, who reaps your wheat. We no longer recognize the producers of anything we choose and sweat for. We have lost the measure of our expenditures in the absurdity of brand, that is, company loyalty. There are no concepts like "enough" or "adequate", so "less" or "more" are vague concepts. It has become a crime for a worker with an hourly wage of 6 liras to demand a raise in front of the company owner's house surrounded by protective walls. If any effort is to be made under these conditions, it is up to us.
Which organizations do you support that fight for the right to equal and fair life in society?
The Deep Poverty Network and Support to Life are the organizations that stand closest to today's urgent issues and touch them personally on the ground. Only solidarity will sustain us today and tomorrow, in wealth and poverty.
Who are the women you admire?
Hacer Foggo who founded the Deep Poverty Network and Konca Kuriş, a Muslim feminist who was murdered by Hezbollah in 1999.
Döne Otyam
Born into art as the daughter of painter, journalist and writer Fikret Otyam and raised with the dream of becoming an art gallerist, Döne Otyam is one of the pioneers of the Mardin Art Biennial, curator and art consultant. For five years, Mardin Biennial has been moving forward with the mission of activating the geography of Mardin with artists, academics, students and different cultural communities through art, creating new sharing environments, and bringing different dimensions to the definition of the conventional idea of center in art. Otyam continues to work with the Abitus Art Projects platform, of which he is one of the founding partners.
Pioneering Women
A theater, television and film actress, Evgar is also an advocate for women's rights and gender equality.
Demet Evgar is a strong voice that aims to make women visible by making the media, television and film industry sensitive to gender equality. In addition to advocating for women's empowerment and equality, Demet Evgar works and campaigns for justice for every living being, regardless of human, nature or animal. Demet Evgar has reached a wide audience by giving life to the stories of resilience and empowerment of different female characters that are still remembered, especially in her TV series and films. Evgar, who defines her work and herself as a storyteller, chooses the characters she plays very carefully to change the story of women in society. She makes sure that the character she portrays supports women's empowerment and does not recreate harmful norms and gender stereotypes. Her films and TV series are broadcast in Turkey, as well as in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, bringing her messages of gender equality to an even wider audience. Evgar has supported UN Women's #Don't Be Indifferent 16 Days of Activism - End Violence Against Women and Fireflies campaigns, and in 2021 she will receive the Bilge Olgaç Achievement Award, given annually by the Flying Broom International Women's Film Festival to underline women's labor in our cinema.
Dilek Livaneli
In 2008, she was assigned to Kumköy Primary School in Samsun and continued her duty as the only teacher in four classes in the same school. Livaneli, who developed projects for the students in the school she taught and guided the development of village women, crowned the happiness of doing what she loved with the European Parliament's International Woman Leader Award. Livaneli, who now continues her career in London, writes about her career journey in her book Bir Dilek Yetermez (A Wish is Not Enough) and says that she aims to inspire people with the movement she started with the same name.
Dilek DemirDilek Demir hung a wish-complaint box on the wall of the mukhtar's office when she assumed the position of mukhtar of Muradiye neighborhood in Diyarbakır's Bağlar district. Demir, who was taken out of school and forced to marry when she was only 14 years old and did not want others to suffer the same fate, saved 40 girls from forced marriages during her two terms in office with the notification letters she received in that box she hung for those who were afraid to tell what they had been through. Demir, who is also known for helping substance addicts, abused children and those in need in his neighborhood, emphasizes at every opportunity that he has done everything he can and will continue to do so.
Ebrar Karakurt
The 21-year-old national volleyball player, who started her volleyball career at Vakıfbank Sports Club in 2012 and after years of success, especially with her outstanding performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, inspires with her colorful personality and ideals as well as her career. Ebrar Karakurt, who transferred to Italy's Igor Gorgonzola Novara in 2021 and continues her career there, founded a volleyball academy last year with the support of Nike and the Social Ben Foundation. Ebrar Karakurt Volleyball Academy provides volleyball training to girls in disadvantaged areas and helps them discover their talents. "Touching the life of even a single girl child is more meaningful to me than I can describe," says Karakurt.
Ece Ciftci
At the age of 14, Çiftçi was introduced to social responsibility at a conference he attended and crowned his initiatives with SosyalBen Academy in 2015. SosyalBen Foundation is a non-governmental organization that carries out field and educational activities at national and international level to contribute to the personal development of children aged 7-13 living in disadvantaged areas. The organization, which has eight basic workshops such as painting, music, dance, play, creative writing, contributes to more than 45 thousand SosyalBen children in 11 countries around the world and 73 provinces in Turkey
Eylem Basar Sogut
Fashion entrepreneur Eylem founded Casting Killer, Turkey's first street casting platform featuring local, disabled and plus-size models, giving a voice to those who cannot find a place in the industry. Casting Killer, which is a rebellion against conventional beauty stereotypes, brings together new faces from both Turkey and the Middle East with the global fashion industry. Eylem, who aims to make a difference both in Turkey and in the world with the agency that currently has around 200 models, said, "There are no limitations such as height, language, religion, race, race, size, size, gender in my models. It is enough for them to be authentic and themselves," she says.
Gülsüm Kav
Specialist physician Gülsüm Kav continues to be the general representative of the platform We Will Stop Femicide, which she co-founded. Fighting to draw attention to gender-based violence, gender inequality and the increasing number of femicides, Kav has also authored a book titled Long Live Women. The British media giant BBC included her in its list of 100 inspiring and influential women of 2020.
Gamze Cizreli
One of Turkey's successful women entrepreneurs and a member of KAGİDER, Cizreli created Ankara's first café Cafemiz in 1993, followed by the Kuki and Quick China brands, and in 2007, she founded the BigChefs restaurant chain in Ankara, again without equity. The chain, which now has more than 60 branches both in Turkey and abroad, launched the Women of the Land to the Table project, which sources its products from low-income women farmers living in rural areas. The project, which started with 14 women and has now reached 100 women, plans to source 50 percent of its supply from women farmers by 2030.
Gözde Mutluer
Actress and artist Gözde Mutluer, together with artist Selver Yıldırım, founded Disyon, an independent online gallery and sales platform that aims to make the original artworks of new generation artists visible. The platform, which prints high quality, certified editions, posters and card series with unique selections, aims to support independent art and artists.
Hacer Foggo
"It is important for me when the general manager of a company is matched with a family who makes a living by collecting paper and asks about the condition of the baby in that family. I think it raises awareness when he learns the story of a person he may not even realize when he passes by him under normal circumstances, and gives support," says Hacer Foggo. Matching is a word that Foggo often uses in the context of the Change Your Home solidarity campaign that the Deep Poverty Network, which she co-founded, launched at the beginning of the pandemic. Matching families in need with those who want to support them is a step towards reducing the deepening inequalities in society. Foggo sees poverty as a human rights issue. "The Deep Poverty Network is not an organization where the recipient is grateful to the giver. We have created a model of solidarity between equals and we fight for rights accordingly."
Halime Güner
Women's rights advocate Halime Güner founded Flying Broom in 1996 with the motto "no woman will be left without a broom". Together with the Flying Broom team, she has carried out numerous activities to increase communication and cooperation between women's non-governmental organizations and women. Since 1998, the Flying Broom International Women's Film Festival has been organized to make women's labor in cinema visible. Güner is one of the pioneers in showing the change created by women's solidarity in society.
Hande Özdinler
After graduating from the Department of Molecular Biology at Boğaziçi University, she completed her master's degree in Genetic Biotechnology at Boğaziçi University. As the Founding Head of the ALS Research Laboratory at Northwestern University in the USA, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hande Özdinler succeeded in reviving dead nerve cells in the brain with a 60-day treatment as a result of her work there, and became one of the 10 scientists who made the best discovery, especially as a hope for ALS patients. Özdinler says that she started this work for her brother, whom she lost due to a brain hemorrhage.
Hazal Kaya
The successful actress was selected as the goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Turkey. UNFPA works for access to reproductive choices and rights, for every woman and every girl and every individual to realize their potential, and works towards zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal mortality, and zero sexual and social violence and harmful practices. "I will never stop fighting for a healthier, safer and more equal world for all women, girls and vulnerable groups," said Hazal Kaya.
Hülya Gülbahar
to eradicate societal violence and harmful practices. "I will never stop fighting for a healthier, safer and more equal world for all women, girls and vulnerable groups," said Hazal Kaya.
Defending women's rights by acting with a feminist consciousness in the field of law means drawing a line of resistance against the patriarchal state. Hülya Gülbahar, feminist lawyer and spokesperson of the Women's Platform for Equality (EŞİK), has been waging an organized struggle on issues such as violence against women, abortion and the right to alimony for many years. Gülbahar, who has been a volunteer lawyer for the Mor Çatı Women's Shelter Foundation since 1978, has also been among the founders and organizers of many women's platforms. In recent years, she has been waging a serious struggle against the misperception created about women's right to alimony.
Itır Erhart
Since 2001, Itır Erhart has been a lecturer at Istanbul Bilgi University's Media and Communication Systems Department, teaching courses on gender, human rights, sports and media. In 2008, she founded Turkey's first charity running platform, Adım Adım, with five friends. In addition to running, the organization provides financial and promotional support to important social responsibility projects through sports such as swimming, cycling and mountaineering. As of November 2021, Adım Adım has reached more than 100,000 volunteer runners and more than 860,000 donors.
İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu and Bahar Aldanmaz
İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu and Bahar Aldanmaz, the founders of the Speak We Need Association, both work to raise awareness on menstruation and fight against menstrual poverty. Menstrual poverty is a problem where girls and women in poor households do not have access to menstrual products, clean and safe toilets and clean water, or it is difficult for them to do so. On the other hand, the fact that menstruation is considered taboo is also a part of this poverty. Eskitaşçıoğlu and Aldanmaz aim to make menstruation less taboo by making it talkable, especially through the education they give to girls and boys in schools.
İnci Eviner
For centuries, women have fought against the power and religion, which claim rights over their bodies, to win their own bodies. That's why women artists talk about 'body' a lot." İnci Eviner's artistic practice is characterized by ideas about the oppression of power over the female body, the functioning of the politics of representation and becoming a woman.
İpek Duben
The Turkish contemporary artist, who holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago, a bachelor's degree in art from the New York Studio School, and a PhD in art history from Mimar Sinan University, critically addresses the concepts of social identity and gender roles, cultural prejudices, migration and memory in his works in different media such as painting, sculpture and installation. The exhibition Skin, Body, Me, which recently opened at Salt Beyoğlu, reflects the artist's artistic practice of more than 40 years.
İrem Yanpar Coşdan
"Efforts in the fashion industry are often band-aids rather than effective solutions. For example, a brand may describe its product as 'sustainable' just because it uses recycled polyester or organic cotton, but the material used is just the tip of the iceberg," says İrem Yanpar Coşdan, Fashion Revolution Turkey coordinator. Coşdan, who provides training and consultancy on sustainability to organizations through Yeşil Yama, which she founded, is in favor of playing an active role in the transformation of the sector.
Jilet Sebahat
A colorful and outspoken figure of Beyoğlu nightlife, Jilet not only performs at the recently closed Anahit, which hosted concerts, plays, parties, solidarity nights, drag and queer performances in Galatasaray, but also writes for various printed and digital publications and keeps a Beyoğlu diary from past to present. Jilet, who states that she was born as a queer feminist, addresses the problems faced by trans women in Turkey such as identity imposition, economic difficulties, exclusion, ignorance and dropping out of school due to the oppressive dominant mentality and strives to change these problems.
Meltem Kurtsan
Meltem Kurtsan, Founder and Honorary President of AGIDER, started her master's degree in phytotherapy after serving as the chairman of the board of directors of the Otacı-Kurtsan Group of Companies for nearly 10 years. "I found a land in the mountains of Yalikavak in Bodrum where medicinal and aromatic plants grow spontaneously and named it HerbaFarm. We transform the plants, fruits and vegetables we grow with organic and permaculture principles into natural and healthy products and offer them for sale under the HerbaFarm Natural Products brand," she says. At the HerbaFarm Academy, which he established on the same land, Kurtsan provides trainings, including aromatherapy, to share his experiences on the healing of plants.
Neval Çam
Çam, born in 1999, developed a software that translates sign language in 2017 while she was still in high school and she was only 16 years old. With this software, which aims to enable people with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate easily with those who do not know sign language in their daily lives, she was named "The most successful female software developer of the year" by Microsoft. Both this success and her personal perseverance led her to Stanford University's Computer Engineering program with a full scholarship.
Öykü Özgencil
Incomplit, the impact-oriented design studio founded by Özgencil in 2016, works to give disadvantaged children the ability to dream and organizes Story Completion Sessions in cooperation with non-governmental organizations. The drawings of the children, who complete unfinished fairy tales by drawing them with their imagination, are processed into fashion design products. In the recent past, Öykü Özgencil also organized gender equality workshops with children under the umbrella of SGDD ASAM Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants. A book titled Snow White Princes and Sleeping Beauties was also prepared as an output of the work with Syrian and Turkish children, with artist and designer Meltem Şahin conducting the illustration session.
Özlem Türeci
Dr. Türeci, who was born in Lastrup, Germany, has carried out many studies aiming to fight the immune system against cancer with modified genetic codes throughout his professional life. In 2008, he co-founded the biology company BionTech and became its chief medical officer in 2018. The company started coronavirus vaccine studies in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic, and Özlem Türeci played an important role in the development of this vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. The US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which collaborated with BioNTech on the development of the vaccine, announced that the Covid-19 vaccine produced has achieved 90 percent success, and the vaccine is the biggest reason why the pandemic has eased today. Türeci continues to serve as President of the Cancer Immunotherapy Association and lectures at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
Pelin Esmer
In the nearly one-hundred-year history of the Academy Awards, seven women have been nominated for best director, and only two of them have won. These numbers are a clear indication of the sexism in the movie industry. Pelin Esmer is a director who has carved a place for herself in this male-dominated field with her efforts and success. After her first feature-length documentary Oyun (The Game) in 2005, which focused on women who make theater in Arslanköy, Mersin, her documentary Queen Lear (Queen Lear), which tells the stories of five of these women staging plays in different villages of Anatolia, received numerous awards.
Ramize Erer
Cartoonist Ramize Erer began his career as an illustrator in the humor magazine Gırgır in 1980 and continued in various media such as Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Hıbır and Leman. Winner of the Creative Courage Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival held in France five years ago, Erer said in her award speech that she drew all her cartoons with the infinite sense of freedom her mother gave her, and that she talked about women's desires and women's problems in the characters she created. Erer is also one of the founders of the women's humor magazine Bayan Yanı.
Rana Nomak Sanyal
Prof. Dr. Rana Nomak Sanyal, a faculty member at Boğaziçi University's Department of Chemistry, together with her sister Sena Nomak, founded RS Research, which develops drug candidates that reduce the side effects of chemotherapy while increasing its effectiveness. RS Research is currently working on the first cancer drug developed in Turkey. Sanyal said, "We wanted to do something that could make a difference to human life. We saw that we could make that difference in preclinical studies and now it's time for humans," says Sanyal.
Rümeysa Çamdereli
Rümeysa Çamdereli, one of the founders of Reçel Blog and Havle Women's Association, defines herself as a Muslim feminist and describes herself as "a platform where we will have our own say on the daily experiences, perceptions of social issues, interests, curiosities, troubles, hopes, concerns and struggles of women, especially Muslim women". Çamdereli has participated in the March 8 Feminist Night March with her baby in her arms and with a banner reading "Are you Allah? Let your family go down". She has also been involved in music since her high school years, performing on stage with her electric guitar. She does not fit into the mold imposed by society and fights for women together with women.
Saadet Özkan
While working in the Menderes district of Izmir, Saadet Özkan revealed that the school principal had been sexually abusing many students for years and ensured that he was sentenced to 82 years and 6 months in prison. Özkan, who won many awards for this act of kindness, founded the Saadet Teacher Association for Combating Child Abuse (UCIM) in 2017. UCIM, a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect children from all forms of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, continues to serve actively across the country with both professional and volunteer staff.
Sema General Karaosmanoglu
Karaosmanoğlu started working in civil society organizations at university and later took part in projects related to both refugees and disasters. Support to Life Association, which he founded in 2005, is a humanitarian aid organization that aims to ensure that communities affected by disasters have access to their basic rights and needs. The organization, which sets out with the principles of non-discrimination, impartiality, independence and accountability, carries out Emergency Relief, Refugee Support, Child Protection and Civil Society Empowerment and Coordination activities. "We are constantly experiencing the pleasure of being able to touch the life of even a single person who has experienced a disaster or war," says Karaosmanoğlu.
Serra Titiz
A graduate of Boğaziçi University, Department of Sociology, Titiz is a successful social entrepreneur who has carried out many projects, especially Mikado Sustainable Development Consultancy, which she founded in 2007, and the Future is Clearer Youth Platform. Mikado develops and implements corporate responsibility and social entrepreneurship ideas that create multi-dimensional social benefits together with the private sector, civil society organizations and international organizations. The Future is Clearer platform guides young people through creative methods to help them make informed decisions about their future. Titiz also works as a senior expert in United Nations Development Program (UNDP) projects.
Sevda Karaca
"We want bread to feed our bellies and roses to feed our souls." This was the language of American working women in 1908. Ekmek ve Gül, which started as a television program on Hayat TV in 2008 and has been a women's communication and organizing network with its website since 2016, refers to this famous saying. Sevda Karaca, the editor of the website, defends women's rights with a firm adherence to class consciousness. As Karaca states in one of her articles, "Wherever there is a women's resistance, Ekmek ve Gül is there. It keeps the women's resistance of the country in its memory, it takes images, writes, speaks, collects them in order to turn them into a common memory of women in struggle."
Sibel Çakır
The animal-loving entrepreneur is the founder of Angels Farm, Turkey's first rescued animal farm. Çakır laid the foundations of the farm 30 years ago in Ankara, and for more than six years, he has been offering a second chance at life to more than 2,000 animals who have escaped disasters and harsh conditions, come from experimental laboratories, survived slaughterhouses, and been abandoned on the streets in the village of Vişneli in Izmir. Cats, dogs, poultry, bulls, donkeys, rabbits and many more are once again connected to life with the peace and trust that Çakır and his team provide.
Songül Öden
Since 2012, Songül Öden has been the Goodwill Ambassador of UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund Turkey. For more than 10 years, Songül Öden has been supporting UNFPA's field, advocacy and communication work on all vulnerable groups, especially women, girls, migrants and refugees, and participating in panels and events. Songül Öden, in particular, makes field visits all over Turkey as part of UNFPA's humanitarian aid program, visits various projects where women and girls are supported in the field of health and protection, and sends a first-hand message to all those in need: "You are not alone". The successful actress also brought what she experienced in this process to the stage. Based on the stories told by UNFPA staff and the women and girls she met during her field visits as a Goodwill Ambassador, she developed seven female characters that are the subject of the theater play Lâl Hayal. In order to make their voices heard by a much wider audience, she brings these seven female characters to life on theater stages across Turkey
Şengül Akçar
After studying civil engineering and completing her master's degree in public policy at Boğaziçi University, Akçar founded the Foundation for the Evaluation of Women's Work (KEDV) in 1986 to help women with low incomes improve the living conditions of themselves and their families and participate in economic life. The foundation, which increases access to sustainable business models, has so far supported women to establish joint businesses in areas such as accessories, home textiles, food, soap, catering, childcare and education services, restaurants, organic agriculture and opened a business portal for women entrepreneurs. Akçar is also an Ashoka award winner in social entrepreneurship.
Şule Yücebıyık
During her tenure as Corporate Communications Director at Borusan Holding, Yücebıyık created an impact on the public opinion on gender equality with the #SevgiDildeBaşlar and #AdınıKoy communication campaigns she designed on behalf of Borusan. The entrepreneur, who is the President of the Association of Corporate Communicators, develops impact projects that serve the 17 Global Goals of the United Nations with the Science Of Impact platform she founded in 2018, and continues to aim to instill a passion for science and competence in high school students with her social initiative called Bilim Virüsü. Yücebıyık says, "Science is not the path imposed on you, but the path you walk with yourself and your heart."
Ümmiye Koçak
Born in 957 in Adana's Çelemli Village, Koçak was not sent to school after primary school because they were 10 siblings, and she improved herself with the books she read. When she got married, Koçak moved to Arslanköy in Mersin and decided to form a theater group to tell the stories of women and founded the Arslanköy Women's Theater Ensemble with seven women she convinced. The first play the troupe put on stage was Taş Bademler (Stone Almonds) by Remzi Özçelik, followed by Kadınının Feryadı (Woman's Cry) and Hasret Çiçekleri (Flowers of Longing). In 2013, Koçak wrote and directed the movie Yün Bebek (Wool Baby) about the problem of violence against women. The film won her the Best Eurasian Female Artist in Cinema award at the 2nd New York Eurasian Film Festival. Koçak is currently writing and directing the play Ana, the Sky is Pierced, which draws attention to the problems caused by global warming.
Yakın Ertürk
In her book Violence Without Borders, sociologist Yakın Ertürk, who served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women between 2003 and 2009, argues that women's individual and collective struggle for their rights has become the most influential global movement today. Ertürk is truly a pioneering woman with her struggle against gender inequality.
Zülal Kalkandelen
He is a writer, journalist, music critic, blogger, radio programmer and vegan activist. She is the translator of Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson's The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food, as well as the first book in Turkish on veganism, Veganism: Morality, Politics, Struggle, the first book on veganism in Turkish. In his book Vegan Revolution and Animal Liberation, Kalkandelen writes, "Human and non-human animals must be recognized the right to live their lives free from violence and exploitation. In the 21st century, this is the biggest revolution before humanity." She is currently a columnist for Cumhuriyet Newspaper and works for the non-profit platform Independent Animal, which she co-founded.
