An international panel on gender-responsive legal practices was organised on 15 May in Ankara, Türkiye as part of the 75^th anniversary of the Council of Europe and the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara.

The panel aimed to provide an overview of international principles and practices related to gender-responsive legal systems, main steps to be taken for legislative and policy-level changes in Turkish family law in a gender-sensitive and victim-centred manner, and gender-sensitive communication in cases of violence and domestic violence. The event, which took place in Bilkent University, brought together a total of 64 representatives (48 women and 16 men) from civil society organisations, academia, and international organisations as well as students from several universities in Ankara and provided a forum for discussion and exchange of experiences.

The event was organised by the joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Fostering women’s access to justice in Türkiye” and the joint European Union/Council of Europe project on “Improving the Effectiveness of the Family Courts: Better Protection of the Rights of Family Members”.

The action “Fostering women's access to justice in Türkiye” is part of the European Union and Council of Europe’s joint programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye“.