Enhancing Women’s Leadership Trajectories Through Female Role Models

Dr. Aslı E. Mert has been granted by MATRA Human Rights Program by Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The project aims to improve the career prospects of young professional women via a training program as well as mentorship provided by established role model women. The project has been launched with a panel including role model professional women from different sectors on 16 April 2018.

The project is designed to support 80 young professional women aspiring to be future role models. The selected candidates are to go through a training program, which includes mentorship from eight prominent women leaders who provide their know-how and experience.

Applications to this project have been finalized on 15 February 2018.

KOÇ-KAM Research Awards

With support from the Vehbi Koç Foundation, KOÇ-KAM Research Awards Program was initiated in 2011 in order to encourage and promote gender-related research in Türkiye and to raise awareness on gender issues. KOC-KAM allocates awards to selected outstanding research proposals for the completion of academic research in various disciplines focusing on gender-related issues in Türkiye. An independent scientific panel evaluates the applications and selects research proposals that qualify for financial support. KOÇ-KAM is the only institution in Türkiye that provides financial support specifically to gender-related research. The number of selected projects and the amount of awards vary according to the availability of awards and the scientific quality of the proposed research projects. The projects are evaluated on the basis of their unique contribution to gender studies.

Prof. Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı Human Development Research Award

‘Human Development Research Award’ given by Professor Çiğdem Kağıtçıbaşı at UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Sustainable Development, Koç University is presented to the prize winners every year. The award which aims to reinforce applied research projects and scientific works that shed light on applied research targeting human well-being, has so far been presented to following researchers:

  • Şebnem Özdemir, Istanbul University, Project: “ANKA (ACDT-Analytical Casual Decision Tree)”
  • Miraç Burak Gönültaş, Cumhuriyet University, Project:  “Approaches in the Abduction Cases Targeting Sexual Child Abuse and Enabling the Criminal Investigation”
  • Elif Gül Yılmazlar, Rotterdam Erasmus University, Project: “Assessment of Judges’ Decision Making Process as regards Unjust Provacation from the Perspective of Gender Discrimination”
  • Mustafa Öztürk, Hacettepe University, Project: “Gaining and Dissemination of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Competencies in Primary Education”
  • Şebnem Feriver Gezer, Project: “Integrating Systems Thinking Skills into the Early Childhood Education in Türkiye”
  • Anıl Özge Üstünel, Altınbaş University, Project: “The Social and Developmental Construction of Women’s Identities”

Prof. Dr. Nermin Abadan Unat Research Award in Social Sciences

“Prof. Dr. Nermin Abadan Unat Research Award in Social Sciences” aims at encouraging doctoral students engaged in research in the field of Women’s Studies in Social Sciences.This award was delivered to Gizem Türkaslan from Koç University, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Pelin Kılıçarslan from Koç University, Department of  Political Science and International Relations and Hayrunnisa Göksel from Northwestern University, Department of Sociology .

The 20.000 USD Prize was split among three research projects namely, Gizem Türkarslan’s Women’s acts of citizenship and gender regimes in Türkiye and Tunisia: Beyond the ‘Gender Paradox’; Pelin Kılınçarslan’s research “Household Indebtedness and Women: A Comparative Analysis of Greece and Türkiye” and Hayrunnisa Göksel’s research “A Stateless Community, A Borderless Movement: Kurdish Women’s Political Mobilization from Local to the Transnational”.

Founded by Mustafa Abadan in 2008, Abadan Awards is provided through an investment fund, Turkish Philantrophy Funds (TPF). Turkish Philantrophy American Funds is a New York-based community and charity foundation, with a focus on four main impact areas: Gender Equality, Education, Social and Economic Development and Disaster Relief.

Survey Research on Sexual Harassment in University Campuses (with Hacettepe University, Ankara)

KOC-KAM, Koç University School of Nursing and Hacettepe University conducted a survey research project on sexual harassment in university campuses. The research aims to understand students’ experience and perceptions of sexual harassment. Expert analysis of the survey results will provide guidelines for the prevention of sexual harassment on campus and a road map for official steps to be taken in sexual harassment cases. The project is initiated in 2013 and completed by the end of 2014.