- Season 2 | Episode 12
Allyship in Action | SDG 5,8 & 16
Selen is transforming gender equality advocacy in Turkey. As chair of Yanindayiz, she engages men as proactive allies in the fight against patriarchy. By fostering dialogue and collective action, Selen empowers communities to combat violence against women, promote equal participation, and challenge societal norms, driving systemic change.
Episode Introduction
Credo Voices, the podcast where we bring you inspiring stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I’m your host, Awele Okigbo, the CEO of Credo Advisory. The race toward gender equality is far from over. Around the world, millions of women continue to face deep-rooted barriers.
In Turkey, the numbers tell a troubling story. More than 1.4 million women have reported being subjected to domestic violence between January 2013 and July 2024, according to data from the country’s Family and Social Services Ministry. But the challenges facing women in Turkey go beyond violence. Economic inequality remains a major obstacle. Only about 37 percent of women are part of the labour force.
One of the lowest rates in the G20. The gap between men and women is even wider among those with less education or among married individuals. And many women who do work are in informal jobs where access to protections like health care, paid leave and job security is limited. In this episode of Credo Voices, we speak with Selen Okay Akçalı, the chair of Yanindayiz, an NGO dedicated to engaging men as allies in the fight for gender equality.
Selen discusses her journey into gender advocacy and the innovative he for she approach that her organization employs. Join us as Selen shares her method of shifting cultural norms and the vital importance of allyship in creating a more equitable society.
Gender Equality Advocate | Social Change Leader
Selen Okay Akçalı is a dedicated civil society volunteer and technology entrepreneur committed to advancing gender equality in Türkiye. As Chairperson of the Board at Yanındayız Association, she leads the first organization in Türkiye to actively engage men in the fight for gender equality.
Her background as an Industrial Engineer laid the foundation for a successful career in the telecom and retail sectors, where she specialized in marketing, sales, and trade marketing. After 12 years in the private sector, Selen’s growing concern for gender equality in the workplace fueled her exploration of women’s roles in contemporary professional environments.
Selen played a significant role in transforming the Women on Boards Initiative into a formal association, serving as a founding board member and later as Secretary-General & Executive Director of Women on Boards Turkey Association (WOB Turkey). In this capacity, she coordinated EU-funded projects supported by the European Union and the Republic of Türkiye.
In early 2023, Selen became Chairperson of Yanındayız, focusing on engaging men in gender equality initiatives. A Vital Voices Global Partnership fellow and Fall 2023 graduate of the ecoDa European Board
Diploma program, Selen also co-founded Agenti, a flexible HR start-up aimed at boosting youth employment in Türkiye. She is married and a mother of two daughters.
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