The "International Day of the Girl Child Conference", within the scope of the "Empowered Girls, Strong Tomorrows" project carried out by the Aydın Doğan Foundation with the support of the European Union (EU), was held in Istanbul with the participation of United Nations (UN) and EU representatives, non-governmental organizations and young people.
At the conference, which is traditionally held every year, the issues of girls' continuing their education, their participation in employment and their greater involvement in decision-making processes were discussed, while the importance of supporting the leadership and self-confidence of young people was emphasized.
The program started with the opening speech of Aydın Doğan Foundation President Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ.
At the opening session of the conference, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Turkey Representative Paolo Marchi, UN Women Turkey Country Director Maryse Guimond and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Turkey Deputy Representative Zeynep Başarankut Kan made speeches.
"Education is not an end but a beginning"
Foundation President Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ, in her evaluation to the AA correspondent, said that the rate of women in the workforce of high-tech companies is at the level of 28-29 percent, and among senior managers, this rate decreased to 12-14 percent.
Yalçındağ stated that the "glass ceiling" that persists even in the most innovative sectors indicates a structural obstacle that goes far beyond traditions.
Stating that historical gains have been achieved in women's participation in education in Türkiye in the last quarter century, Yalçındağ said, "Education is not an end, but a beginning. A girl's education is not the end of the story, but the beginning. Because the real question is whether this girl can participate in employment, whether she can gain economic independence and whether she can take a place at the decision-making tables of the country." he said.
Yalçındağ pointed out that one in every three young women in the 15-24 age group in Türkiye is neither in education nor employment and said:
"Women's participation in employment is only 32.1 percent. The World Economic Forum's 2026 report says that it will take 120 years to reach full equality at the current rate. Do we really have to wait another 120 years? Our answer is very clear, no. Change is possible. Now is the time to accelerate it and see our girls not only as leaders of the future, but as change agents of today."
Referring to the Needs Analysis research conducted by the Foundation, Yalçındağ stated that 91.4 percent of young women see economic difficulties and 76.7 percent see gender norms among the biggest obstacles to leadership, and said that 99 percent of the 7,652 young women reached with the EU-supported project to date have gained a strong awareness about leadership and access to opportunities.
"My compass has always been my curiosity"
V Foundation Founder and President Vuslat Doğan also shared his experiences ranging from media leadership to his art journey.
Stating that the most basic guide in his own life journey is curiosity, Doğan said:
"When a person starts to listen to himself, many negative voices and obstacles appear in his mind. But in the process, those voices become silent and that's when my real creation process begins. I was able to take my steps with courage only when I removed the limits and impossible doors that I had placed on myself. The most valuable thing a young woman should entrust to herself in this life is her own inner voice, her curiosity and the place she wants to go. Do not let anyone take this away from you in all the chaos and uncertainty."
UNICEF Turkey Representative Paolo Marchi said that success is not just about numbers, it is about seeing girls become more self-confident, boys support equality more strongly, fathers take a more active role at home, and societies become more supportive and inclusive.
UN Women Türkiye Country Director Maryse Guimond stated that girls have the power to speak their own words.
Guimond stated that their part is to remove the obstacles in front of girls and ensure that they have a voice wherever decisions are made regarding their lives.
UNFPA Turkey Deputy Representative Zeynep Başarankut Kan also pointed out the generational impact of investing in young people and said that every child, adolescent and young person deserves to grow up in a safe, healthy and supported manner, and to determine their own future by learning and developing.
In the panels moderated by Author Yekta Kopan within the scope of the conference, sessions titled "Changing Tomorrow", where young people conveyed their own projects and change stories, and "Growing the Impact Together" were held, where methods of expanding the impact of non-governmental organizations in the field were discussed.
Following the sessions, two workshops were held. In "Our Way", where young people and students met, young people discussed the meaning of being strong for themselves, their dreams and needs for an equal future, and wrote the "Strong Girls, Strong Tomorrows Manifesto".
In "From Need to Cooperation", which brought together representatives of non-governmental organizations, public, private sector and funding institutions, fundraising, social responsibility projects and joint action steps among stakeholders to remove the obstacles facing young women were discussed.
The conference ended by sharing the manifesto written by the young people and the cooperation steps put forward by the stakeholders.
