United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Türkiye, within the scope of this year's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Ambassadors of Ireland, Norway and New Zealand organized a co-hosted event. Held at One Tower Assembly in Ankara “Open Mic: #GBVdisruptor” United Nations Deputy Resident Coordinator in Türkiye Gerard Waite and many Ambassadors as well as leading academics and civil society representatives working in the field of combating violence against women attended. UNFPA Türkiye's Honorary Ambassadors Edis Görgülü, Hazal Kaya and Songül Öden also attended the event with a video.
ANKARA Türkiye - United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA Türkiye organized an event in Ankara within the scope of 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Ambassadors of Australia, Lebanon and Sri Lanka to Türkiye were also present at the event hosted by UNFPA Türkiye Representative Mariam Khan, Ambassador of Ireland to Türkiye John McCullagh, Ambassador of Norway to Türkiye Andreas Gaarder and Ambassador of New Zealand to Türkiye Zoe Coulson Sinclair.
At the event, UNFPA Türkiye's campaign called "#GBVdisruptor" was also introduced this year, within the scope of the "16 Days of Activism" carried out by the United Nations from November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10, World Human Rights Day. As the UN organization with the most comprehensive and specialized operation in Türkiye in the fight against violence against women, UNFPA Türkiye aims to underline that everyone has a responsibility in this regard and that everyone can make a difference in this fight with their actions in daily lives.
Speaking at the opening of the event, UNFPA Türkiye Representative Mariam Khan said that, as the UN Population Fund, they are working to end violence against women and ensure equality between men and women. “Only with you can we achieve this vision, there is something we can all do, join us and become a #GBVdisruptor,” she said.
At the event, United Nations Deputy Resident Coordinator in Türkiye Gerard Waite co-hosted the event with the Ambassador of Ireland to Türkiye John McCullagh, Ambassador of Norway to Türkiye Andreas Gaarder and Ambassador of New Zealand to Türkiye Zoe Coulson Sinclair also made opening speeches.
Saying that the UN's 16 Days of Activism process is an opportunity to change the norms that feed gender inequality, Waite added that to end violence, there are steps that everyone can take in their daily lives. “We must let women empower, support girls and work together for gender equality; I too am a #GBVdisruptor," he said, inviting everyone to join UNFPA's campaign.
Irish Ambassador McCullagh started his speech by explaining that he learned a lot from his father, including the importance of respecting women. “I am a #GBVdisruptor because as a father, I also explained to my son the importance of respecting women and combating violence against women. "And I hope that in the future, if my son becomes a father, he will do the same," he said.
Norwegian Ambassador Andreas Gaarder started his speech by saying, "I am a #GBVdisruptor." He emphasized the importance of working especially with men and boys in the fight against violence against women, “This is a universal problem. "Therefore, we must all work together to change the universal norms that serve this," he said.
New Zealand Ambassador Sinclair underlined that almost one in two women in the world is exposed to violence. He emphasized that in order to end violence against women, awareness must first be raised, therefore education is very important. “We all need to advocate on this issue, as we are doing here today,” he said.
At UNFPA Türkiye's "Open Mic: #GBVDisruptor" event, Prof. Yakın Ertürk who previously served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Selma Acuner, who represents Türkiye on international platforms with her work in the field of women's rights, Turkish Women's Associations Leading figures working in the field of combating violence against women, Federation - TKDF President Canan Güllü and KAMER President Nebahat Akkoç, also made speeches.
At the end of the event, UNFPA Türkiye's supporters from the sports and art world were also on stage. Giving a short speech, National Basketball Player Gökhan Şirin emphasized gender equality and said, "We must support girls' passion for sports and encourage them to realize their potential." The event ended with the #GBVdisruptor videos of UNFPA Türkiye Honorary Ambassadors singer Edis Görgülü, actress Hazal Kaya and actress Songül Öden.
During the 16 Days of Activism campaign, which will continue until December 10, UNFPA Türkiye calls for turning words and promises into concrete actions for a more effective fight against violence against women. For this reason, we call everyone by using our #GBVDisruptor Instagram filter and contribute to this struggle by shooting and sharing videos.
