The Human Rights Education Program (HREP) was developed by Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR). It is a transformative holistic human rights education program for women carried out in cooperation with trainers associated with the Turkey General Directorate of Social Services, municipal agencies and in the NGO sector.
The 2011 impact assessment reviewed the previous seven years of HREP programming. The study included data from 251 alumni surveys; 88 trainer surveys; interviews with WWHR staff, trainers and key stakeholders associated with government partner organizations; and case studies of two HREP groups in Kartal (Istanbul) and Van. The main report contains detailed analyses of survey-based findings, including variations based upon educational level, marriage status and whether the woman worked outside of the house.
HREP had a clear and positive impact on alumni in all of the areas investigated, including knowledge and awareness, attitudes and feelings, skills, and behaviors and actions. Over 90 per cent of the women completing HREP reported that they better understood and could apply Turkish laws to protect women; were more self confident and courageous; felt increased solidarity with other women; and had gained skills that would increased their capacity to claim their rights, including the ability to communicate effectively, to make decisions and to recognise and address problems. Based on both a legal rights and gender perspective, the program has successfully empowered women to know and claim their rights both in the private sphere (including familial relations, sexual and reproductive rights, gender sensitive parenting) and the public sphere (including economic rights, political rights, organising, and access to justice).
Adapted from author's summary