Main Projects / Activities

1.Awareness-raising activities were conducted through the official social media accounts of Çankaya University KADUM, which were actively utilized to enhance public engagement and visibility.
2.The report of Turkey’s first institutional event organized within the scope of World Women in Diplomacy Day (June 24), entitled “Why Are Women Indispensable in Diplomacy?”, was prepared and published on February 24, 2025. The event featured distinguished speakers including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Berris Ekinci, Rector Prof. Dr. Hadi Hakan Maraş, KADUM Director Prof. Dr. Zeynep Karahan Uslu, and ambassadors representing foreign countries. The report presents the key findings and recommendations derived from the workshop, along with statistical data on women’s representation in the field of diplomacy, and was publicly shared.
3.The project proposal submitted under the Social Development Support Program (SOGEP) coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Technology was approved, and the project officially commenced on March 6, 2025. To ensure effective implementation, a detailed task distribution plan was developed, responsible teams and coordinators were designated for each sub-activity, monthly monitoring and evaluation meetings were conducted, progress reports were regularly prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities, and all project-related needs and revisions were executed with the approval of the executive committee.
4.The report of the workshop titled “Women in Diplomacy”, organized under the coordination of KADUM, was finalized and made ready for publication. The report was shared with relevant institutions and stakeholders, announced within the university community, and made public through an official press release.
5.Turkey’s first province-based “Women-Friendly Brands Index” study was carried out following the acceptance of the proposal by the Women-Friendly Brands Platform. The research was conducted under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Zeynep Karahan Uslu, Director of KADUM, with the contributions of Board Member Deniz Bayraktaroğlu, and with the participation of member companies of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) and the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO). The results of the index were published in the first week of March.
6.A preliminary meeting was held with the Turkish Association of University Women (TAUW) within the framework of a European Union-funded project. The meeting resulted in progress on the design of a joint project and the development of cooperation opportunities, and consultations continued throughout the year.
7.Within the scope of International Women’s Day (March 8) activities, a panel entitled “Femininity Stigmatized by the Vortex of Clichés, Prejudices, and Discrimination” was organized on March 20, 2025. The panel featured the following distinguished speakers:
•Pirkko HAMALAINEN, Ambassador of Finland
•Prof. Dr. Buket AKKOYUNLU, Vice Rector, Çankaya University
•Prof. Dr. Zeynep KARAHAN USLU, Director, Çankaya University KADUM
•Prof. Dr. Aylin GÖRGÜN BARAN, Department of Sociology, Hacettepe University
•Prof. Dr. Hatice DEMİRBAŞ, Department of Psychology, Hacı Bayram Veli University
•Gözde DİKER, President, ANGİKAD
The panel contributed to raising awareness of gender equality and women’s representation in various spheres of public and professional life.
8.On March 8, 2025, within the scope of International Women’s Day, KADUM organized the event “Now It’s Time to Reverse the Stigma” to draw attention to explicit and implicit stigmatization faced by women in everyday life. Through expressions such as “When women remain silent, they are perceived as weak; when they speak up, they are deemed disrespectful…”, social stereotypes were made visible—each stigma transforming into thousands of voices resonating through the corridors of the university.
9.The exhibition themed “Women of the Soil” was held between October 15–22, 2025. The organization, promotion, and execution of the exhibition were carried out by KADUM, and the event concluded successfully with significant participation.
10.On October 5, 2025, a promotional event was held within the scope of the project titled “Those from Anatolia – Preservation of Cultural Heritage and Empowerment of Women Producers: The Nallıhan Needle Lace Project”, conducted by KADUM with a focus on women’s labor and employment. Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Zeynep Karahan Uslu, the project partner Nal-Etik Cooperative participated with an extensive product range in CRAFTISTANBUL (@craftfairistanbul), Turkey’s only internationally recognized handicrafts fair.
11.As part of November 25 – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, support was given to the UN’s 16 Days of Activism campaign. In this context, a multidimensional campaign was carried out. As the first step of the campaign, the panel titled “The New Face of Violence: Digital Violence” was held on November 27 with the participation of our university’s students and academics. Following the opening speeches by Prof. Dr. Nihat Solakoğlu and Prof. Dr. Zeynep Karahan Uslu, the panel was moderated by Dr. Nermin Yaşar Başkaraağaç and featured presentations by Dr. Eser Us Doğan and Dr. Deniz Bayraktaroğlu. The discussion focused on digital violence—also the main theme of the UN this year—addressing its scope, psychological foundations, and legal dimensions. Interactive surveys conducted throughout the event made participants’ awareness levels and experiences visible. In addition, “Say No to Violence” badges distributed by KADUM were worn throughout the 16 days. Measurements on digital violence were conducted with our students serving as research participants, and the findings will be published as an academic article.
12.On January 12, 2026, the Light of the Heart Exhibition was inaugurated, presenting a comprehensive initiative in which women producers showcased and sold their handcrafted works, while highlighting the cultural values of traditional Turkish handicrafts.x
13.On February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a webinar was held under the moderation of Zeynep Karahan Uslu, Director of KADUM. The event featured presentations by Ayşegül İldeniz, former World Vice President of Intel Corporation, and Zehra Öney, President of Teknolojide Kadın Derneği. The webinar focused on breaking down the prejudices surrounding Industry 4.0 and discussing roadmaps for building a competitive future. To ensure the widest possible impact, the webinar was made a permanent output by being published on the Çankaya Üniversitesi YouTube channel.