Joint Programme

Horizontal Facility

Addressing the unique legal challenges faced by women in Türkiye’s earthquake-affected regions requires urgent, gender-sensitive reforms in disaster recovery frameworks— this was concluded at the “Conference on Women’s Access to Justice after the Earthquakes”, organised by UN Women Türkiye and the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara at Ankara University’s Faculty of Law on 31 October 2024. Participants, including representatives from public institutions, international organisations, and civil society, academia and university students discussed ways to ensure equitable access to justice for women in the wake of the disaster.

Discussions were held based on the findings of two pivotal studies: one by the Council of Europe, which examined how gender dynamics impact legal aid access, and another by UN Women, which focused on the legal needs of women in earthquake-affected areas.

The February 2023 earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye intensified existing inequalities, particularly affecting women and girls in terms of safety, access to essential services, and social support networks. The conference highlighted these critical issues and fostered discussions on improving access to justice for women within disaster recovery frameworks.

A Platform for Policy Dialogue and Collaboration

Building on these research findings, the conference served as a multi-stakeholder forum for discussing how gender dynamics affect access to justice in disaster contexts, the recovery efforts of government and the civil society, and opportunities for stronger cross-sector collaboration. "For response and recovery efforts to be truly effective, women’s experiences and expectations must be integrated at every stage through women’s leadership and active participation," stated Zeliha Ünaldı, Deputy Country Director of UN Women Türkiye. She also emphasised that “the right to access justice during disasters requires ensuring that women, as rights holders, are not left behind, examining the legal system and processes through a gender perspective, assessing whether legal mechanisms meet the needs of women, identifying barriers to access to justice, and supporting the continuity of services in this direction.”

Head of Operations of the Council of Europe Programme Office in Ankara, Pınar Başpınar, highlighted that "Challenges faced by women and girls in the aftermath of disasters remind us once again of the critical need for gender-sensitive policies. Enhancing women’s access to justice is vital not only for protecting women’s rights but also for promoting social equality and justice."

The event concluded with actionable recommendations aimed at addressing justice-related challenges for women and girls in the aftermath of the earthquakes. The insights and recommendations shared during this conference are expected to inform ongoing efforts and foster a more equitable recovery process for women and girls in Türkiye.

The event was organised by the joint European Union/Council of Europe action “Fostering women’s access to justice in Türkiye”^* and UN Women Country Office in Türkiye.

^*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“.