A comprehensive hybrid learning model for civil society: Equality Academy

Opening remarks were delivered by TED University Rector Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu, UN Women Türkiye Country Director Maryse Guimond and Amra Levnjak, Gender Policy Officer at the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye. The event was also attended by Babatunde A. Ahonsi, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye. During the event, the scope and roadmap of the project were presented to participants by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selin Akyüz, Coordinator of the Equality Academy and Director of the TED University Gender Studies Center.

A strategic learning platform for gender equality

The Equality Academy was established within the framework of the second phase of the Strong Civic Space for Gender Equality project implemented by UN Women. The initiative aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of civil society organizations working in the field of gender equality.

In her remarks, UN Women Türkiye Country Director Maryse Guimond emphasized that the Equality Academy represents an initiative that responds both to current needs and to a strong vision for the future:

“Equality Academy is being launched as both a response to urgent needs and an expression of hope. We are initiating this effort at a time when gender equality must be placed at the very centre of responses to today’s challenges. Gender equality is indispensable for achieving lasting peace and ensuring a sustainable future.

We are living in a time marked by multiple and intersecting crises, including the climate crisis, armed conflicts, economic inequalities, setbacks in rights and rapid technological transformation. Equality Academy has been designed as a shared space for learning, dialogue and collective action that brings together civil society, academia and young leaders in order to strengthen analytical capacity, solidarity and strategic thinking. Through this initiative, we aim to equip those working at the forefront of the struggle for equality with the knowledge, networks and tools necessary to respond effectively to current realities and to generate lasting and meaningful change.”

In her presentation, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selin Akyüz explained that the Academy has been designed to respond to structural challenges faced by civil society actors, including financial sustainability, institutional capacity and organizational functioning. The hybrid model, which combines digital and in person learning methods through an integrated approach, aims to create a digital ecosystem that promotes interactive participation, facilitates the sharing of experience and offers continuous learning opportunities for civil society organizations across Türkiye.

The multi layer learning programme to be implemented within the Academy seeks to strengthen both the knowledge base and the implementation capacity of civil society organizations in advancing gender equality. The programme includes self paced learning modules that expand access to feminist knowledge, online trainings and seminars that enable participants from different regions of Türkiye to participate remotely, and in person capacity development meetings.

Participants will have the opportunity to engage in knowledge and experience sharing on a range of current topics, from gender equality policies to the care economy, from inclusive spaces to gender perspectives in the context of crises and disasters. Academy activities are also planned to be enriched through short thematic videos prepared with the consent of participants in order to support the digital dissemination of learning outcomes.

Within this structure, the rotation programme is positioned as a complementary component that enables participants to engage with different fields of experience, supports the establishment of connections between field based knowledge and academic expertise and strengthens processes of mutual learning.