The "Migration and Women" Workshop, organized by the Women's Diaspora Communications Directorate of the Migration and Diaspora Foundation, was held in Istanbul with broad participation. The workshop was organized to address the social integration, rights and needs of women among the diaspora communities in Türkiye. Participants included representatives of various civil society organizations, the Provincial Directorate of Migration, the Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Children of the Earth Association, the Chair of the UDEF Women's Commission, officials from the International Students Department of Fatih Sultan Mehmet University, and regional experts.
The Difficulties Women Face and Proposed Solutions Were Discussed at the Workshop
The full-day workshop was held in two sessions, and the topics "Education", "Working Life", "Family and Socio-Cultural Cohesion", "Health" and "Legal Rights" were designated as the main agenda items for addressing the problems women face during the migration process. At the workshop, participants discussed proposed solutions to support the adaptation of women migrants to society.
The Women's Diaspora Communications Directorate of the Migration and Diaspora Foundation pursues strategic goals such as establishing global communication networks, creating support programs and carrying out awareness projects in order to make the women's diaspora's voice heard, increase its social impact, and develop policies that protect the rights of women migrants. Steps toward these goals were also assessed at the workshop.
A Broadly Attended International Event
At the workshop chaired by Ayşe Müzeyyen Taşçı, Sümeyye Ertekin and Ola Karakurt served as moderators. Speakers at the event included participants from different countries, such as Middle East expert Zahide Tuba KOR, Abrar Alsalihi from the Iraqi diaspora, Hamida Mazbutova from the Tajik diaspora, Abeer Hilmi Ahmed and Aleviyye İbrahim from the Sudanese diaspora, Münevver Özuğur and Fahima Er from the East Turkistan diaspora, İman Bekir and Meryem Medhat from the Egyptian diaspora, Dujane Private from the Syrian diaspora, and Nebile Said and Faiza Mohammed Altahami from the Yemeni diaspora.
Münevver Özuğur, one of the prominent representatives of the East Turkistan diaspora and Head of Women and Family Services of the International Union of East Turkistan NGOs and Head of the East Turkistan Nuzugum Women and Family organization, shared her views on the issues of the East Turkistan diaspora and proposed solutions. Touching in particular on the difficulties faced by East Turkistani women living in Türkiye and on proposed solutions, Özuğur offered assessments of the steps that should be taken to empower diaspora women.
It Aims to Make the Voice of Women Migrants Heard
The Women's Diaspora Communications Directorate of the Migration and Diaspora Foundation develops international cooperation and organizes awareness campaigns, training programs and seminars in order to increase the social impact of the women's diaspora. It also aims to increase the visibility of women in the diaspora by sharing women's success stories through the media. At the workshop, strategic steps that could be taken in line with these goals were discussed, and projects that would strengthen women's integration into social life were emphasized.
