Equality-Focused Project Proposal at the Social Policies Working Group

The “Common Sense for Avcılar: Municipality–University Cooperation Strategy Workshop,” held at Istanbul Gelisim University, brought together local government and academia, providing a platform for the development of concrete policy and project proposals for the district. During the workshop, where equality-oriented social policies were discussed, proposals developed across different thematic groups were presented at the end of the day.

The book “Gender and Violence,” prepared by the Gender Studies Application and Research Center (TCCUAM) at Istanbul Gelisim University, has been published. Edited by Selda Tunç Subaşı, Seyra Kestel, and Diler Ezgi Tarhan, the volume examines the relationship between gender and violence through an interdisciplinary perspective. It focuses on forms of physical, sexual, psychological, economic, and symbolic violence produced within patriarchal structures. The structural, cultural, political, and digital dimensions of violence are discussed, while heteronormative contexts are critically evaluated. Both visible and hidden forms of violence are analyzed.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Selda Tunç Subaşı, Director of the Gender Studies Application and Research Center, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Nazar Bal, Member of the Center’s Advisory Board, presented their paper at the 3rd International Symposium on Women in Audio-Visual Culture, held on April 9–11, 2026.

Assistant Professor Selda Tunç Subaşı, Director of the Center for Gender Studies, presented her paper titled “The Ethical Justification of Violence: Female Police Officers and Emotional Management in On Call” at the 2nd Interdisciplinary Women’s Studies Symposium on Friday, March 6, 2026, at Haliç University.

The panel “Women and Children: Institutional and Field Experiences in Social Work” took place on March 6, 2026, at SBF B Block 026, as part of International Women’s Day. Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Anıl Al Rebholz, with Social Work Specialist Gülistan Aslan as speaker, the event explored institutional and field perspectives on social work with women and children, sharing challenges, solutions, and professional experiences.

The panel “Ecology, Violence, and Employment”, organised for International Women’s Day, featured speakers Asst. Prof. Dr. Selda Tunç Subaşi (Director, Center for Gender Studies), Asst. Prof. Dr. Seyra Kestel (Deputy Director, CGS), and Assoc. Prof. Diler Ezgi Tarhan (Deputy Director, CGS). The discussion examined how gender inequalities are reproduced across social spheres, addressing the gendered impacts of ecological crises, structural dynamics of violence against women, and women’s labour market challenges. Speakers emphasized climate change as a social justice issue and highlighted care work, sectoral segregation, and precarious employment as barriers to women’s economic participation.

The “Documentary Screening and Online Q&A” event, organized in collaboration with the Department of Radio, Television and Cinema and the Center for Gender Studies, was held with strong participation. The program began at 10:00 a.m. in J Block 331, where director Pınar Fontini’s documentary What Is the Name of the Film?, which traces the legacy of women directors from Turkey’s 1968 generation, was screened for the audience.

Gender Studies Application And Research Center, in collaboration with the Department of Sociology and the Sociology Club, organized a screening and critical discussion of the film Persepolis. The film was analyzed within the frameworks of gender, migration, identity, and intersectionality. During the subsequent evaluation session, moderated by Assist. Prof. Dr. Nazar Bal and Assist. Prof. Dr. Selda Tunç Subaşi, students engaged in a structured discussion, applying theoretical concepts to interpret the film and relate its narratives to broader social processes. The event provided a platform for developing students’ critical thinking skills and promoting active participation in interdisciplinary academic discourse.

The seminar, organized by Istanbul Gelisim University Faculty of Health Sciences Social Work Department, the Social Responsibility Application and Research Center, and the Gender Studies Application and Research Center, addressed the relationship between urban life, disasters, and gender from a social work perspective. During the event, Dr. Emrah Tüncer, Dr. Ayşe Aydın, and Gender Studies Center Director Dr. Selda Tunç Subaşı delivered presentations. Subaşı discussed the invisible daily burdens faced by women in urban settings through a feminist geography approach. The program also included the presentation of student projects conducted within the scope of the 2209-A initiative. The seminar concluded with a question-and-answer session and a general evaluation.

With the contributions of our internal stakeholders, the Departments of Radio, Television and Cinema and Advertising at the Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences, the Panel on Legal, Psychological, and Communication Perspectives in Combating Violence Against Women was held on November 18, 2025. The panel was moderated by Dr. Lecturer Selda Tunç Subaşı, Director of TCCUAM, and Dr. Lecturer Seyra Kestel, Deputy Director of TCCUAM.