The main objective of the programme is to enhance the resilience of CSOs in Türkiye and empower them to more effectively promote human rights and support victims in accessing justice in the field of women’s rights. To achieve this overall objective, the programme focuses on the following four specific objectives:

 Strengthening the capacities of civil society organisations, authorities, lawyers and other professionals on human rights and access to justice for women, in line with international and European standards.

 Improving local mechanisms and co-operation between civil society organisations, authorities, lawyers, and other professionals working on women’s access to justice.

 Raising awareness among  women in vulnerable situations about human rights and access to justice.

 Providing legal aid services to access justice and remedies to women in vulnerable situations.

The programme builds on the outputs and results of co-operation under the previous Horizontal Facility actions – “Fostering women’s access to justice in Türkiye”. The main activities include, but are not limited to:

 Development of needs assessments, guides, studies and training materials on women’s rights.

 Training of Trainers programmes and cascade trainings for CSOs, lawyers and local bar associations on human rights and access to justice with a particular focus on women’s rights.

 Training for CSOs, lawyers and bar associations on operational skills and procedures. 

 Coordination meetings between CSOs, bar associations, municipalities, and other relevant actors to strengthen joint approaches and to provide more coherent, collaborative local responses in women’s access to justice.

 Roadmap and local action plans to improve coordination among CSOs, bar associations, municipalities in the field women’s access to justice.

 International conferences and study visits.

 Grants to CSOs working in the field of women’s access to justice to facilitate access to information, legal counselling, justice and effective remedies.

 A grant to UTBA to support the operation of legal aid clinics in Malatya, Şanlıurfa and Van enabling them to provide legal aid in the area women’s access to justice.

Main partner: Union of Turkish Bar Associations

Target groups: Bar Associations; Civil society organisations active in promoting women's rights and gender equality; Lawyers; Municipalities

End beneficiaries: Women and girls in vulnerable situations, victims of domestic violence
 

 Improved capacities of CSOs, bar associations, lawyers and other professionals working on women’s access to justice to effectively apply European and international standards and to facilitate access to justice and effective remedies.

 Enhanced dialogue and coordination among CSOs, municipalities, bar associations, lawyers and other professionals working on women’s access to justice, leading to more consistent and effective responses.

 Improved access to information, legal support, effective remedies, and awareness of rights for women including those in vulnerable situations through grant support to CSOs.

 Comprehensive grant scheme to legal aid clinics in Malatya, Şanlıurfa and Van, enabling them to provide legal aid and counselling in the area of women’s access to justice.

 The programme runs from 22 December 2025 – 21 December 2028.

 The budget is 1 482 000 Euros funded by 90 % funded by the European Union, 10% by the Council of Europe.

The programme is implemented by the Capacity Building and Co-operation Projects Unit at the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Division.