IKV organised a webinar entitled “Gender Equality in the EU Process and Feminist Foreign Policy” on 11 March 2021. IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu delivered the opening speech at the webinar the speakers of which were Sweden’s Consul General in Istanbul Peter Ericson, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at Okan University and co-founder of Women in Foreign Policy Initiative Prof. Zeynep Alemdar, academic Assoc. Prof. Sevgi Uçan Çubukçu, Head of TED University Center for Gender Studies Prof. Zuhal Yeşilyurt Gündüz and IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas. The webinar was moderated by IKV Deputy Secretary General M. Gökhan Kilit.

In his opening speech, underscoring the importance of ensuring gender equality, IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu pointed to the EU accession process as a driving force in Turkey’s efforts in this field. IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu also provided information regarding the number of women diplomats serving in Turkey’s missions abroad.

In the panel session, Sweden’s Consul General in Istanbul Peter Ericson provided detailed information on Sweden’s feminist foreign policy which was launched in 2014. Highlighting the four Rs (reality, resources, rights and representation of women), Ericson conveyed Sweden’s intention to play a leading role in the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at Okan University and Women in Foreign Policy Initiative Co-founder Prof. Zeynep Alemdar talked about the objectives of the initiative and discussed the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality. Assoc. Prof. Sevgi Uçan Çubukçu emphasized the significance of the Istanbul Convention as a binding agreement for all contracting states. Explaining concepts such as gender stratification, patriarchy and human security, Head of TED University Center for Gender Studies Prof. Zuhal Yeşilyurt Gündüz stressed that the International Relations discipline cannot fulfil its mission of sustaining peace without higher women representation. Finally, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas focused on women’s participation in labour force and politics and pointed out to the importance of ensuring “equal pay for equal work”.