Improving women's access to justice begins long before a case reaches a courtroom. It starts with institutions communicating effectively, understanding one another's roles and working together to ensure that women can receive the support they need, without having to navigate complex systems alone.

With this understanding, representatives from bar associations, civil society organisations from the six provinces of Afyonkarahisar, Bilecik, Bitlis, Burdur, Tokat, Yalova, and representatives of the Union of Turkish Municipalities gathered to explore how local cooperation can better respond to the needs of women in vulnerable situations.

Over two days, participants shared frontline experiences and insights, identifying both barriers to effective local cooperation and practical solutions to strengthen co-ordinated and gender-responsive support for women in vulnerable situations.

Participants also provided valuable feedback on a draft training guide designed to strengthen the capacity of bar associations, civil society organisations, and municipalities to better assist women in vulnerable situations seeking justice.

The strong partnerships built during the meeting marked an important step towards ensuring that every woman can access the protection, support and justice she needs.

This event was organised under the “Fostering Civil Society's Support for Women's Access to Justice in Türkiye” Programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.