Eda Erdem joins UN Women as Goodwill Ambassador

UN Women Türkiye has appointed Eda Erdem, captain of the Türkiye Women’s National Volleyball Team and one of the country’s most celebrated athletes, as its new Goodwill Ambassador. Announced on the eve of the International Day of the Girl Child (11 October), this special partnership aims to strengthen the leadership roles of women and girls and to advance gender equality.

Eda Erdem becomes UN Women Türkiye’s second Goodwill Ambassador, following the appointment of actress Demet Evgar in 2022. With Eda joining the team, UN Women aims to amplify the voices of women and girls and reach even wider audiences.

At a press conference held in Istanbul on 10 October, the details of the collaboration were shared with members of the media and a broad audience from the private sector and civil society.

As a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Eda Erdem will serve as a powerful role model demonstrating that leadership belongs to every girl. She will advocate for policies and practices that promote the full and equal participation of young women in decision-making. Eda Erdem will also represent Türkiye and UN Women on international platforms, helping to amplify the call for equality.

“Being a Goodwill Ambassador is an important and significant responsibility. I see this not just as a representational role, but as an opportunity to truly make a difference. Together with UN Women, I want to contribute to impactful efforts for women’s empowerment and gender equality. We will work together in many areas from combating violence against women to empowering girls through sports. Our goal is to raise public awareness and inspire action on these issues,” says Eda Erdem about her new role. 

Eda Erdem raises her voice for all women and girls

“Together with UN Women, we say ‘Our Voice. Our Power.’ Because every girl has the right to own her voice and pursue her dreams. My voice is not mine alone; it unites with the voice of my teammate on the sports field, a young student in the classroom, and the woman workplace seeking a seat at the decision-making table. I am the captain on the volleyball court, but every girl can be the captain of her own life,” says Eda Erdem. She affirmed that she will raise her voice for all women and girls as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador.

“Today, I am proud to announce that Eda Erdem has joined us as UN Women Türkiye’s  Goodwill Ambassador to advance women’s leadership and women’s full and equal participation in decision-making. As our Goodwill Ambassador, Eda will help us powerfully convey that women’s leadership is not optional, it is essential. She will advocate for policies that ensure women’s and girls’ equal access to decision-making at every level. By representing UN Women and Türkiye internationally, she will show what becomes possible when women lead,” says Maryse Guimond said, UN Women Türkiye Country Director.

“This partnership is not only about representation, but also about transformation. Every time Eda speaks about women’s leadership or steps onto a stage, she sends a powerful message to girls: your voice matters, your leadership is needed, and captaincy in every field of life is your right,” continued Maryse Guimond.

The year 2025 is pivotal for gender equality and women’s rights. Thirty years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action—the world’s most visionary roadmap for women’s rights and with just five years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, no gender equality indicator has been fully met. One of the most persistent gaps is women’s full and equal participation in decision-making. UN Women’s Beijing+30 Action Agenda calls for acceleration by centering the leadership of adolescent girls and young women.

The data underline the urgency: Globally, women hold only 28 per cent of managerial positions in workplaces. In politics, academia, and business alike, women’s representation in leadership has yet to reach 50 per cent. 63 per cent of girls say they do not see enough women coaches and role models in sport. By contrast, 80 per cent of the world’s top women leaders report playing sports in childhood.

From the sports field to gender equality

Through this new collaboration, Eda Erdem will bring her determination in teh sports field to the broader cause of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The partnership between UN Women and Eda Erdem aims to inspire girls across Türkiye, make women’s pathways to leadership more visible and accessible, and elevate the voices of a new generation of women leaders.