Case Studies
Lessons LearnedTake a holistic approach by looking across the life cycle of a woman Recognizing that there are opportunities to empower women at each stage of their life cycle, the programs that Ayşen and Hüsnü support try to be comprehensive in providing educational opportunities to women and girls of all ages and at different stages of their lives. A range of programs build the skills of mothers to support their children's development, with differentiated modules for mothers of children in different age groups. For instance, for women aged 15 and older who may not have had formal education, the Functional Adult Literacy and Women's Support Program focuses on functional literacy skills, along with targeted activities that help women participate more actively in the social and political spheres. In a country where adult illiteracy rates are high, such an approach has allowed Ayşen and Hüsnü to reach and impact a larger share of women in need of education than they would have by focusing just on younger girls. Engage the whole community to sustain mindset changes The bulk of AÇEV's portfolio of programs targets mothers. However, given the importance of providing fathers with an equal set of skills as mothers, the organization offers the Father Support Program (FSP). The program targets literate fathers of children, aged 3-11, with the objective of increasing the level of involvement of the fathers in their children's development. The communities where it has been implemented have hailed it as a success, with mothers noting their husbands' more positive attitudes towards their children and a better understanding of their wives' burdens, explains Aslı Silahdaroǧlu, a staff member at the Özyeǧin Foundation. Work with partners to build robust and sustainable programs
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AÇEV partners closely with a range of national partners, such as the Turkish Ministries of National Education and Health. It also works with a range of international partner organizations, including the United Nations agencies and the World Bank. Finally, it engages with local NGOs and local community organizations when planning interventions in communities throughout Turkey. Such relationships allow the organization to leverage its skills and expertise. These partnerships are also proving useful as Ayşen and Hüsnü work to expand their programs to other countries, such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.
