Women Leaders in Politics

“Alliance of Her” and European Women Politicians Came Together in Türkiye!

Europe's leading women's leadership platform “Alliance of Her” (AoH) hosted its participants at the 2024 graduation program held in Istanbul between 26-29 September 2024. This year, Bakırköy Mayor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Ovalıoğlu delivered the closing speech at the event, which was organized to support and empower women to take more part in political leadership.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Ovalıoğlu has worked in the field of neurosurgery at national and international level and has conducted important research in the field of neurosurgery. In addition to her work in the field of health, she continues to read about the impact of politics on social structure. After a successful academic and professional career, Ovalıoğlu entered politics to serve society on a wider scale.

Ovalıoğlu, who was elected as the first female mayor of Bakırköy with 67.72% of the votes with the overwhelming support of Bakırköy residents, is carrying out new works that accelerate urban life in many areas from education to health, sports, culture, arts and infrastructure with local policies that embrace all segments of society, especially children and youth.

Bakırköy Mayor Ovalıoğlu, who has become one of the strongest examples of women's leadership, expressed her approaches towards a stronger representation of women in local and national politics, and shared her personal experiences on the positive reflections of political participation and women's political leadership on society in the AoH program.

Other prominent speakers of the event, which took place in Istanbul with the participation of women politicians from all over Europe, included Estonian Climate Minister Yoko Alender and Emma Coffey, Fianna Fail Party Assembly Member from Ireland. The 2022 graduate of the program, Tuğba Dönmez, and the 2023 graduate Elif Menderes were among the participants of the graduation ceremony.

“Alliance of Her” is an initiative that supports women leaders in Europe and aims to help them succeed in their political careers. The program is a continuation of a successful initiative known as “European Women's Academy” from 2016-2020. Renamed and expanded in 2021, on International Women's Day, it aims to help women across Europe to have a strong presence in the political arena. To date, the program has graduated more than 250 women politicians. Türkiye has been part of the program since 2022. By offering leadership academies, mentorship and a growing network of alumni around the world, the program supports women to overcome political barriers.