UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting & Panel on Participation and Entrepreneurship on the Axis of Gender Equality were held on 27-29 April 2018, in Balıkesir, Turkey; under the auspices of Karesi Municipality, member of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Gender Equality.
UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting & 4th Meeting of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Gender Equality were organized in the first day of the two-part event program.
UCLG-MEWA Draft 2018-2020 Strategic Plan and UCLG-MEWA activities were presented to the approval of the members of the Executive Bureau, during UCLG-MEWA Executive Bureau Meeting.
During the 4th Meeting of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Gender Equality; Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality,
Karesi Municipality, Nilüfer Municipality, Şişli Municipality, Zeytinburnu Municipality and Beytüllahim Municipality presented their best practices on gender equality.
Committee memberships of Ain El Tineh Municipality; Assoum Municipality; Beitunia Municipality; Union of Dannieh Municipalities; Gebze Municipality; Haref Syad Municipality; Saida Municipality and Urla Municipality were accepted unanimously in the meeting.
Saida Municipality from Lebanon also expressed their interest for the Co-Presidency of the Committee, and was elected as the Co-President of the Committee.
In the second day of the program, Panel on Participation and Entrepreneurship on the Axis of Gender Equality started with the opening speeches of Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General; Yücel Yılmaz, Mayor of Karesi; Mohamed Saadie UCLG-MEWA Co-President, and Şükrü Kara, Deputy Governor of Balıkesir.
While concluding his speech, Secretary General Duman invited local governments to sign “Commitment on the Localization of Sustainable Development Goal 5” for building sustainable, inclusive and equitable cities.
Emphasizing that development and equality start at the local level; Yücel Yılmaz, Mayor of Karesi, stated that municipal services should be done on the basis of “participation.” Mayor Yılmaz added on the support Karesi Municipality supports all projects and works towards women and children.
Following the opening speeches, Commitment on Localization of Sustainable Development Goal 5 was carried to international agenda, with its signature by Emilia Saiz, UCLG Secretary General, Mehmet Duman, UCLG-MEWA Secretary General, and Yücel Yılmaz, Mayor of Karesi, with the leadership of the Presidency of UCLG-MEWA Committee on Gender Equality, which advocates for the localization of Goal 5 on “achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls” (SDG 5) among 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Secretary General Saiz stated that the Commitment is a major step for the equality, in her keynote speech. Emilia Saiz emphasized on developing new models including differences for equality policies; collaboration with nongovernmental organizations and involving all stakeholders for solving problems. She also expressed that the real equality will be ensured together through the practice of implementing common policies by taking different needs into account.
In the panel which consisted of 3 sessions titled “Participation on the Axis of Gender Equality”, “Employment and Entrepreneurship of Women on the Axis of Gender Equality” and “Women Who Make Difference”, representatives from Ouense Municipality, Schwabisch Hall Municipality, and Consulate General of Bangladesh in Istanbul, Arab Town Organization and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) made speeches.
Click here for the Panel pictures.