EGE UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S AND FAMILY STUDIES RESEARCH CENTRE

The academic research and scholarly activities focusing on women at Ege University, the development of which is briefly outlined below, have incorporated the theme of the family as a core dimension since their inception in 1996. While multifaceted efforts have been undertaken to enhance the social status of women, the concept of the family has remained an integral component of the Center’s mission. Accordingly, family-oriented studies, activities, and publications have been produced within the scope of the Center’s duties and responsibilities.

As of January 12, 2026, the Center has been officially renamed the Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center (EKAM), and its revised regulations have been published in the Official Gazette. With this regulatory framework, family studies are formally emphasized alongside women’s studies, reflecting an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.

DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN’S STUDIES AT EGE UNIVERSITY

As an academic field, gender and women’s studies are institutionalized at Ege University through two closely related and mutually reinforcing structures. The first consists of research and application centers, while the second comprises academic departments primarily located within the Social Sciences Institute and responsible for postgraduate education.

At Ege University, scholarly work on women and gender is conducted through the Women’s Issues Application and Research Center (EKAM), affiliated with the Rectorate, and the interdisciplinary Department of Women’s Studies within the Social Sciences Institute. These two units operate in close coordination, supporting and strengthening one another both academically and institutionally.

The first Director of EKAM was Prof. Dr. Seval Sekin, a faculty member of the Faculty of Agriculture. The first Head of the Department of Women’s Studies was Prof. Dr. Günseli Sönmez İşçi, a faculty member of the Department of English Language and Literature in the Faculty of Letters.

The interdisciplinary structure of women’s studies at Ege University can be more fully understood within a broader national and international context. In this regard, the period from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s is particularly significant. Turkey became a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1985. Subsequently, in 1995, the country signed the Beijing Declaration, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women organized by the United Nations.

During this period, as women’s rights emerged as a prominent public and academic agenda, women’s studies began to gain institutional recognition within universities. The first academic center in this field in Turkey was the Istanbul University Women’s Studies Application and Research Center, which commenced operations in 1989. This initiative was followed by the establishment of the Women’s Issues Research and Application Center (KASAUM) at Ankara University in 1993, and a similar unit at Çukurova University (Adana) in 1994.

In line with these developments, Ege University responded promptly by establishing its own Women’s Issues Application and Research Center, thereby positioning itself among the leading institutions in this field.

The Ege University Women’s Issues Application and Research Center (EKAM) was formally established on November 12, 1996, by a decision of the Ege University Senate under the authority of the Rectorate. The Center’s primary objectives are to conduct national and international research on discrimination, violence, and prejudice faced by women; to develop interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with public and private institutions; and to raise awareness of the economic, social, historical, and legal factors underlying women’s disadvantaged social positions.

Within this framework, the Center seeks to produce both academic and public-oriented publications, organize scholarly meetings, and serve as a bridge between the university and society in order to contribute to the resolution of gender inequality and gender-based challenges.

As the Ege University Women and Family Studies Application and Research Center, the institution will continue its efforts to improve the social status of women while also addressing the family as a fundamental social institution.

AREAS OF ACTIVITY

In accordance with the Center’s regulations, its principal areas of activity are as follows:

a) To conduct theoretical and applied research in the social sciences, humanities, and health sciences in line with the Center’s objectives, and to develop projects aimed at improving the socio-economic status of women.

b) To support women-focused scientific research conducted in various units of the University; to encourage postgraduate students to undertake studies on the challenges faced by women in society and potential solutions, as well as to monitor and analyze changes in family structures and propose evidence-based responses.

c) To conduct and promote research aimed at safeguarding and advancing women’s rights as established through Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s Principles and Reforms.

d) To collaborate with national and international centers working in related fields, facilitate the exchange of information, and organize scientific and academic meetings.

e) To support the mobility of researchers by facilitating outgoing and incoming academic visits in accordance with relevant legislation, with the aim of enhancing knowledge exchange, training, and collaborative research.

f) To design training programs and offer skills-based courses aligned with the Center’s objectives, and to organize academic events such as seminars, conferences, workshops, symposia, and congresses.

g) To establish and maintain an archive and library comprising posters, printed and electronic resources, educational films, and scholarly works related to women’s and family studies and the social challenges faced by women.

h) To raise awareness among women employed in the public and private sectors regarding women’s health, family planning, and legal rights through the organization of informational conferences and outreach activities.

i) To conduct research on women’s and family issues with the aim of enhancing the position of women in society.

j) To implement social responsibility projects related to women and family issues in collaboration with undergraduate and graduate students, in line with the Center’s mission.

k) To cooperate with national and international institutions and organizations in pursuit of the Center’s objectives.

l) To address and challenge entrenched societal prejudices and perceptions regarding women through academic, educational, and public engagement initiatives.

m) To establish and coordinate volunteer groups to support the implementation of the Center’s activities.

n) To undertake additional activities consistent with the aims and principles of the Higher Education Law.

CENTER DIRECTORS FROM ITS ESTABLISHMENT TO THE PRESENT

Prof. Dr. Seval Sekin – Faculty of Agriculture

17/09/1996 – 17/09/2005

Board Members:

• Berrin Durmaz – Faculty of Medicine

• Nadide Kazancı – Faculty of Science

• Nesrin Eronat – Faculty of Dentistry

• Ayla Bayık – School of Nursing

• Konca Yumlu – Faculty of Communication

• Hale Okçay – Faculty of Letters

• Günseli Sönmez İşçi – Faculty of Letters

Prof. Dr. Nurselen Toygar – Faculty of Dentistry

19/09/2005 – 19/09/2008

Board Members:

• Gülsün Özentürk – Atatürk School of Health Sciences

• Ayten Ayşen Kaya – Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences

• Dilek Takımcı – Faculty of Communication

• Şerife Yalçınkaya – Faculty of Letters

Prof. Dr. Feride Bilgehan Aksu Tanık – Faculty of Medicine

22/09/2008 – 09/09/2009

Board Members:

• Günseli Sönmez İşçi – Faculty of Letters

• Ayten Ayşen Kaya – Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences

• Dilek Takımcı – Faculty of Communication

• Meltem Çiçeklioğlu – Faculty of Medicine

Prof. Dr. Belgin Hoşsu – Faculty of Fisheries

15/10/2009 – 08/07/2010

Board Members:

• Solmaz Zelyut – Faculty of Letters

• Şerife Yalçınkaya – Faculty of Letters

Prof. Dr. Atilla Silkü – Faculty of Letters

08/07/2010 – 24/09/2010 (Appointed)

Prof. Dr. Nevin Yıldırım Koyuncu – Faculty of Letters

24/09/2010 – 24/09/2013

Board Members:

• E. Remide Arkun – Faculty of Medicine

• Gülgün Erdoğan Tosun – Faculty of Communication

• Solmaz Zelyut – Faculty of Letters

• Hatice Şirin – Faculty of Letters

Prof. Dr. Yeşim Kirazlı – Faculty of Medicine

15/09/2013 – 28/11/2013 (Acting)

Prof. Dr. Konca Yumlu – Faculty of Communication

2013 – 2018

Board Members:

• Solmaz Zelyut – Faculty of Letters

• Nevin Yıldırım Koyuncu – Faculty of Letters

• Dilek Direnç – Faculty of Letters

• Huriye Göncüoğlu – Faculty of Fisheries

• Lale Kabadayı – Faculty of Communication

Prof. Dr. Şerife Çağın – Faculty of Letters

2018 – 2024

Board Members:

• Ayşegül Dönmez – Faculty of Nursing

• Fazlı Gökçek – Faculty of Letters

• Sinem Utanır Altay – Atatürk Health Services Vocational School

• Lale Barçın Aka – Faculty of Communication