EMU-CWS Attends Turkish Republic Council of Higher Education Meeting

Eastern Mediterranean University Center for Women’s Studies (EMU-CWS) Chair Prof. Dr. Süheyla Üçışık Erbilen and Research Assistant Bilcan Bladanlı attended the “Executives of University Women Study Centers Meeting” that took place in Ankara on the 30th of October 2016. The meeting took place at the Turkish Republic Council of Higher Education (YÖK) Head Office. As well as centre executives amonsgt those attending the meeting were Ministry of Family and Social Policies Female Statute General Director and representatives. The opening speech was made by Acting YÖK president  Prof. Dr. Safa Kapıcıoğlu who talked about YÖK’s expectations from university Centers for Women’s Studies. Prof. Dr. Kapıcıoğlu further emphasized YÖK’s and President Saraç’s outlook at female leadership in academia and women’s rights highlighting that centers should carry out collaborations with institutions and civil society in the province they are located in and that young academicians should make use of project funds to especially carry out work regarding the education problems faced by refugees.

Ankara University, Faculty of Law academician Prof. Dr. Gülriz Uygur gave a presentation titled “Approach and Expectations from Universities”. Emphasis was laid on the document prepared by the YÖK Women Studies and Problems in Academia Commission and sent to all universities. The document titled “Approach to Gender Mainstreaming in Higher Education Institutions” put forward recommendations that the universities are expected to fulfill.  The expectation stressed upon the most was regarding all universities or their Women Research Centers providing postgraduate and doctorate level gender programs and training expert academicians in order to create a strong foundation. According to the commissions’ statistics the percentage of women doing postgraduate study is 53% however the percentage of those who reach the level of ‘professor’ is only 28% whilst those who become administrators are only 9%. For this reason based on the decision made by the Inter-University Council it was reminded that female academicians should be considered for administrative positions.