AÇEV's Equality Matters Initiative Offers Digital Support for Women's Empowerment: POWER Sessions E-Learning Platform Now Accessible

AÇEV has been working for many years with women who left school early, need to develop literacy skills, and are not part of the workforce. Through the POWER Sessions empowerment training, which AÇEV has been offering face-to-face to young women categorized as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) since 2016, 12,000 young women have been reached. Many of the women who participated in the training have either entered the workforce or resumed their education.

AÇEV’s social initiative, Equality Matters, takes a holistic approach to women's empowerment. It aims to improve women's access to education tools, encourage the use of technology for self-improvement, and thus reach more women. To this end, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Aydın Y. Durgunoğlu, the POWER Sessions training has been transformed into a free digital platform that women can access anytime, anywhere. The POWER Sessions E-Learning Platform is now accessible at www.hayatdolubulusmalar.org , and the online launch event took place on September 19th.

AÇEV's First Digital Education Program for Women

AÇEV General Manager Senem Başyurt opened the online launch event, emphasizing that AÇEV is offering its first-ever digital training program focused on women's empowerment. She said: "Since the early years of our foundation, we have developed and implemented educational programs for women who left school early, need to develop literacy skills, and are not part of the workforce. Since 2016, we have been reaching out to women who are neither in education nor employment with our POWER Sessions program. Now, as AÇEV Equality Matters, we are delighted to present our POWER Sessions training as a free e-learning platform that women can access anytime, anywhere, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Aydın Yücesan Durgunoğlu. We believe that every woman empowered through education takes a step toward building a more equal society and a brighter future. We are confident that our POWER Sessions E-Learning Platform will offer a great opportunity for women to develop themselves, enhance their skills, and move one step closer to their dreams."

In her closing remarks, Başyurt also called for support in promoting the platform, stating, "The more women we can make aware of this free training, the closer we will be to realizing our dream of an equal society where women are empowered."

“Women hold up half the sky.”

Prof. Dr. Aydın Yücesan Durgunoğlu also spoke about women's empowerment and technology. She noted that the world is living in an era of knowledge economy and added: "The knowledge economy is a model based on intellectual power. Continuous learning, self-renewal, and keeping up with changing technologies are of great importance. Scientific thinking, creativity, and good communication are also crucial. This is why the empowerment of the whole society, especially women, is essential. As a Chinese proverb says, 'Women hold up half the sky.' You cannot develop the intellectual capacity of only half the population and leave the other half behind. Women who participate in the POWER Sessions training positively influence their families and future generations. They communicate better with their children, support their daughters' education, and take steps to continue their education or find employment."

Accessible Education for Women Anytime

Equality Matters Director Meltem Cantürk emphasized that according to 2023 data, there are 5 million women in Türkiye who have completed only middle school. She highlighted that the POWER Sessions E-Learning Platform aims to reach 3.5 million young women aged 18-29 who are neither working nor in school. Cantürk noted, “According to the data, one in every two women in the 18-29 age group is neither continuing education nor working,” and explained the platform’s content in detail: "Our goal is to ensure that all women, who cannot attend face-to-face training due to various responsibilities but have internet access, benefit from this valuable education. We designed the platform in a way that allows every woman to easily register. Our platform offers an empowerment education that all women can complete at their convenience, in their own time and place. Participants can reopen and continue incomplete sections, or repeat completed sections. At the end of the 11-module training, we offer an online certificate. We also ensured that the educational content is engaging and colorful. An interactive experience supported by exercises, videos, and visuals has been prepared. I believe every woman will find something relatable in this content."

What are the topics covered on the e-learning platform?

Here are the training topics available on the platform:

• The importance of self-care and personal development
• Continuing education and exploring careers
• Safe use of technology
• Effective communication
• Understanding children's rights and how to protect them
• Recognizing the importance and harms of early and forced marriages
• Ensuring equal division of labor at home
• Realizing the importance of involving all family members in decision-making
• Knowing women's human rights
• Learning about types of violence and how to respond
• Lifelong health and regular doctor visits
• Improving economic knowledge in areas such as budgeting, debt, and household labor
• Refreshing mathematical thinking skills