The SES Women Mentoring Walk, a global project of the Vital Voices Association, organized by the SES Equality and Solidarity Association in Turkey for the third time this year, was held in two districts of Istanbul with the participation of more than 200 women.
Women Mentoring Walk is a global project of the Vital Voices Association, which was established to support women’s leadership in the world. The project aims that Experienced Women Leaders (MENTOR) converse with other women leaders (MENTEE) who are in the stage of development, share their experience and knowledge, give personal support and develop friendship.
SES Women’s Mentoring Walk was held in Istanbul for the first time in 2020 with the participation of 350 women as part of the Global Women Mentoring Walk implemented by Vital Voices in 165 cities around the world. The event took place online in 2021 with the participation of 300 women due to the pandemic.
Organized for the third time this year, the event was held in Şişli and Ataşehir districts in Istanbul on Sunday, March 6th with the participation of more than 200 women.
In the event organized with the partnership of Şişli Municipality and Ataşehir Municipality and with the support of Alternatif Bank, women shared and learned about the women’s experiences in different fields such as academic development, politics, media, civil society, art, leadership, entrepreneurship, start-up, preparation for business life, gender equality, work-life balance, personal development.
CHP Istanbul Provincial President Canan Kaftancıoğlu, former CHP deputy Sena Kaleli and Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı, Prof. Dr. Hülya Tanrıöver, Prof. Dr. Nazire Akbulut and the president of KAGIDER Emine Erdem among many others attended the event as mentors.
The meeting at the Maçka Art Park in Şişli started with a live music performance, while the women welcomed the music with their dance moves. After the music performance, Gülseren Onanç, Founding President of SES Equality and Solidarity Association, took the stage.
Onanç greeted those who came to the Mentoring Walk and said: “We, as SES Association, do digital journalism, we do journalism through the eyes of women. We are trying to raise the voice of women in Turkey and in the world, and of course we support women’s solidarity. Because women who have been fighting for gender equality for centuries still have such a long way to go that we can only achieve this in one way: By standing side by side. That’s why if there will be equality in this country one day, it will be only through women’s resistance, women’s solidarity.”
Onanç also talked about Russia’s attack on Ukraine emphasizing the importance of raising the voice of peace: “We want to send greetings to Ukrainian women from here, too. We stand in solidarity with them. I want to say once again that the only way is peace but I think this can only be possible through negotiation and diplomacy and when women are part of the peace processes.”
Reminding the women journalists and politicians who have been deprived of their freedom for a long time in Turkey, Onanç said, “I would like to send greetings to them from here as well. Sedef Kabaş is our dear friend. Good luck to you, Sedef, your resistance paves our way,” she said.
Those who participated in the SES Women’s Mentoring Walk as mentors and mentees said that the event fills an important gap in ensuring women’s solidarity through experience sharing.
Here are some feedback received by the SES Women Mentoring Walk team during and after the event:
“What did I learn from my mentor?”
“What did I learn from my mentor? That I’m not late for anything in life. I can do anything if I take action. Everything flows in its own time, without comparison. Everything I’ve done all this time and that seems like a mess contributes to who I am right now. Thank you!”
“We listened to each other“
“Yesterday we had a great time with Ms. Emel and Aleyna. We listened to each other on many issues and shared our ideas. It was instructive and also a pleasant conversation.”
“What we shared in common was to be a woman in business“
“Today’s meeting has been very good for me. What we shared in common was not just to be a woman but to be women in business. Thank you for this organization.”
“I’m glad our paths crossed”
“It was an event where it didn’t matter who mentored whom, it was a process where everyone gave as much as the other person needed. We are very happy to meet you. I am glad that our paths crossed.”