Organized for the fifth time by SES Equality and Solidarity Association, the SES Women Mentoring Walk 2026 brought together more than one hundred women of diverse ages and experiences.
Since 2020, SES Equality and Solidarity Association has been organizing Women Mentoring Gatherings each year as part of the March 8 International Women’s Day program. Aiming to strengthen women’s solidarity, this year’s gathering took place on Sunday, April 5, at Bilim Beyoğlu.
At the heart of the event was the formation of mentor–mentee relationships between two women—connections that continued throughout the event and, depending on mutual interest, beyond it. Women from different stages of life, with varied experiences, skills, and perspectives, walked side by side, learning from one another.
Through sharing knowledge and experience, women became a voice (SES) for one another, reinforcing the power of solidarity.
Prior to the event, participants filled out a form reflecting on their life experiences, the paths they wished to pursue, and their expectations from both the event and their potential matches. Mentor–mentee pairings were carefully made based on these responses. Accordingly, participants gathered at Bilim Beyoğlu at 10:30 AM on Sunday, April 5, to meet their matches. The event welcomed 100 women.
Upon arrival, mentors and mentees collected their name badges and began searching for their partners based on the codes assigned to them. This process naturally encouraged participants to connect not only with their matches but with many other women in the room.
Following the introductions and pairings, the Founder and President of SES Equality and Solidarity Association, Gülseren Onanç, delivered the opening speech. She explained the core philosophy behind the Women Mentoring Walk through the lens of responsibility.
Inspired by a phrase from Colombian women—“We do not have rights, we have responsibilities”—Onanç emphasized that sustaining balance in society requires the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and experience among women. She underlined that the Women Mentoring Walk was created precisely to fulfill this responsibility.
“Knowledge is a trust to be passed on to another woman. Every experience we gain is something we are entrusted to share. As women, we must give back the strength we receive from one another.”
Referring to Maya Angelou, she added:
“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.”
“Let us complete this cycle of life together through the Women Mentoring Walk.”
She also highlighted that the pandemic, anti-democratic developments in Turkey, global conflicts, and oppressive forms of capitalism have increasingly pushed women inward. Yet despite these challenges, women continue to come together—to learn, to inspire, and to stand in solidarity.
While more experienced women guided others through their knowledge and perspectives, younger or less experienced participants offered hope and inspiration in times of uncertainty.
At the end of the opening speech, participants applied the red lipsticks gifted to them at registration—a symbolic gesture of women’s resistance—and gathered for a group photo.
Mentors and mentees then left the venue together and began their walk through the historic and multicultural memory of Beyoğlu, becoming part of a shared culture of women supporting and inspiring one another.
This year’s visual theme featured an illustration by Celeste Byers, created to support activism.
