TURKISH NGO'S ENERGIZED AND ORGANIZED TO PROMOTE

UNCLAS ANKARA 006502 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL OSCE TU SUBJECT: TURKISH NGO'S ENERGIZED AND ORGANIZED TO PROMOTE WOMEN'S RIGHTS REF: STATE 178055 1.(U) Summary: On November 13, we discussed the Secretary's Women's Empowerment Working Session fact sheet recommendations with representative's from KADER and Flying Broom -- two prominent Turkish Women's Rights NGOs. Both groups enthusiastically received the recommendations, and plan to circulate them to a wider audience where they hope they will spark additional ideas. Post will continue our cooperative dialogue with women's rights' groups to pursue the Working Session recommendations as well as other creative opportunities to help empower women. End summary. 2.(U) The Association for Supporting and Training Women Candidates ("KADER") is a 14,000 member strong Turkish NGO that was founded in 1997 to increase women's participation in politics by campaigning to remove economic, social and legislative barriers to female candidates. KADER's Head of International Relations, Dr. Selma Acuner, told us that she is pleased that the Secretary's Working Session fact-sheet stressed the importance of KADER's "bread-and-butter issue" of increasing female participation in politics at a high level. Acuner told us that she would contact us with any additional ideas KADER may be able to pursue once her fellow KADER directors have reviewed the fact-sheet. 3.(U) We also presented the fact sheet recommendations to Halime Guner, the President of Flying Broom, an NGO founded in 1996 to improve women's rights in Turkey. Flying Broom works uses many means to advance its broad agenda, including participation in numerous international conferences, and partnering with women's groups in all of Turkey's 81 provinces to conduct women's rights education campaigns. The Embassy's public affairs office is working with Flying Broom to provide support for the group's flagship event -- the Ankara International Women's Film Festival. For next year's 10th festival, Flying Broom expects to attract independent films on women's issues from over twenty countries. Flying Broom agreed to review the fact sheet recommendations thoroughly and continue to share their ideas on how to best advance women's rights. 4.(U) Comment: Turkish women's rights NGOs are organized, active, and growing in Turkey. Although their work has helped begin the difficult process of changing societal attitudes, the number of females in higher political office (approximately 4% of parliamentarians are female) shows that much work remains. End comment. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON