The Human Rights Tulip Award, presented by the Dutch Government to individuals who promote and support human rights globally through peaceful and innovative means, was awarded this year to human rights advocate, feminist lawyer, and EŞİK volunteer, Hülya Gülbahar.
The Dutch Royal Family which actively supports non-profit civil society organizations in Turkey with an egalitarian perspective through the MATRA and Human Rights programs , also honor individuals who play an active role in this field with the Human Rights Tulip Award.
This year, the Human Rights Tulip Award was presented to Hülya Gülbahar, a dedicated human rights advocate, feminist lawyer, and volunteer for Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK).
During the ceremony, Ambassador Joep Wijnands emphasized the importance of empowering women in society and stressed the need to support representatives of civil society organizations working in this field.
Wijnands reminded everyone that the Dutch Government has been organizing the Human Rights Tulip Award since 2008 to recognize individuals who have shown courage in protecting and promoting human rights, and he mentioned that the nomination process is conducted for human rights advocates worldwide.
Expressing their delight in awarding Hülya Gülbahar with this honor in Turkey this year, the Ambassador said, “Your influential role in uniting and strengthening the women’s rights movement in Turkey truly makes you a deserving recipient of this award!”
About Hülya Gülbahar
Hülya Gülbahar, is a graduate of Dokuz Eylül University Law Faculty. Between 1984 and 1988, she served as a lawyer at the Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DİSK). Currently, she practices as an independent lawyer in Istanbul. Since 1978, she has been an active member of the Turkish women’s movement, volunteering as a lawyer for the “Purple Roof Women’s Shelter Foundation” and being part of its collective.
Gülbahar has played a pivotal role in establishing various women’s organizations, including the “Equality Monitoring Women’s Group (EŞİTİZ),” “Women’s Media Monitoring Group (MEDİZ),” and “Equality for Women Platform (EŞİK).” She continues to be an active member of the General Assembly for the Women’s Works Library and Information Center Foundation.