Who We Are
SU Gender is a research center committed to promoting awareness of gender equality across education, academia, and the broader public. To this end, we conduct research in the fields of gender and sexuality studies, organize educational and awareness-raising activities, and create platforms for the dissemination of academic knowledge. In addition to increasing the visibility of gender-related work, we also aim to make academic knowledge accessible to all and to strengthen the flow of information and interaction between academia and civil society.
The foundations of SU Gender trace back to two key initiatives launched at Sabancı University in 2006. The first was a collaborative effort to prevent sexual harassment on campus, which led to the publication of the Principles of Support and Measures Against Sexual Harassment at Sabancı University. Around the same time, the Purple Certificate Program was initiated under the United Nations Joint Program to “Promote and Protect Human Rights of Women and Girls” (UNJP) in Turkey, offering gender-sensitive training for high school teachers nationwide. These efforts brought together academics, administrative staff, and students, who began working under the umbrella of the Gender Forum in 2010. In 2016, the forum was restructured as a research and application center and has continued its work since then under the name SU Gender.
What We Do
At SU Gender, we conduct research from an intersectional perspective on topics related to gender, including politics, democratic participation, urban life, migration, mobility, employment, education, arts and literature, ecology, sexuality, masculinities, memory, health, body politics, and care. We carry out international research supported by international organizations, primarily the EU Horizon Europe Program, and participate in multinational research consortia. We also conduct national and local-scale research with support from TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) and other grant-giving institutions.
Since 2010, in collaboration with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, we have been organizing the Dicle Koğacıoğlu Article Award for graduate students, and since 2017, the Şirin Tekeli Research Award for postdoctoral scholars. These awards aim to support researchers working on gender-related topics in Turkey and to create platforms that foster and connect gender research.
We also offer training programs on gender, inclusion, and diversity both within the university and beyond. Since 2007, we have been running the Purple Certificate Program for high school teachers and teacher candidates, aiming to prevent gender-based discrimination in classrooms and school environments. In addition, through training and consultancy services provided to university members, the private sector, and civil society organizations, we strive to raise institutional awareness and contribute to the development of inclusive policies and practices.
We share the outcomes of our research, training, and awareness-raising activities with the wider public through various events and publications. Our outreach efforts include conferences, webinars, workshops, talks, film screenings, as well as reports, newsletters, video recordings, and other materials. On the first Saturday of each month, we host our Saturday Talks series, focusing on a different topic and guest speakers each time. We also organize special events every year for International Women’s Day on March 8, and convene every December for the International Gender Studies in Turkey Conference.
Gender Forum / SU Gender Director: Sibel Irzık (2010-2016), Ayşe Gül Altınay (2016-2019), Hülya Adak (2019-2022)
Gender Forum / SU Gender Coordinator: Ayşe Yüksel (2011-2016)
Education Coordinator: Emirhan Deniz Çelebi (2018-2022)
Executive Board Members (2016-)
2016-2018: Ayşe Betül Çelik, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Deniz Tarba Ceylan, İlker Birbil, Ruken Alp
2018-2020: Ayşe Gül Altınay, Ayşecan Terzioğlu, Cenk Özbay, Emine Süphan Bakkal, Hülya Adak
Advisory Board Members (2016-)
Andrea Petö, Betül Kacar, Bilge Demirköz, Cynthia Cockburn, Cynthia Enloe, Deniz Kandiyoti, Fatmagül Berktay, İpek Gürkaynak, Karin Karakaşlı, Kenan Çayır, Meral Akkent, Mert Fırat, Nadje Al-Ali, Nazlı Ümit Boyner, Nebahat Akkoç, Nihat Berker, Richa Nagar, Sanem Oktar, Serpil Sancar, Yeşim Arat, Zerrin Koyunsağan
Gender Forum/ SU Gender Assistants (2010-2020)
Bürge Abiral, Özgül Akıncı, Ceren Aydın, Derya Aydın, İrem Az, Veli Başyiğit, Elif Binici, Ece Başay, Pınar Budan, Servet Büyükkuşoğlu, Bade Nur Çayır, Doğu Durgun, Yasemin Belkıs Duru, Pınar Ensari, Dilan Eren, Selen Erdoğan, Hilal Gül, Pınar Gümüş, Serkan İlaslaner, Şeyda Şükran İşler, Fulya Kama, Erdem Kayserilioğlu, Münevver Kınalı, Ediz Kömüryakan, Alihan Köse, Elif Kurtuluş, Ebrar Nefes, Özge Olcay, Derya Özkaya, Naz İlay Özbay, Lara Güney Özlen, Marhabo Saparova, Betül Sarı, Zulal Sunaçoğlu, Gamze Tosun, Nihan Türegün, Ercan Usta, Sinan Usta, Ezgi Uzun, Aslı Aygüneş, Melis Üstün, Ece Yenmez, Burcu Yoleri, Ayşe Şanlı, Bade Çayır, Cemre Zekiroğlu, Ebrar Nefes, Gizem Damla Cakmak Eres, İpek Tabur, Janine Rich, Laura Elise Neumann, Naz İlay Özbay, Nazlı Hazar, Reşat Şaban, Serhat Kaçan, Tuğba Yavuz, Zeynep Özgül, Yusuf Traşçı, Elif Erol, Ogün Demirci, Kayra Ezgi Topkara, Ayşe Ceren Ulusoy, Dicle Kızılkan, Oğuz Can Ok, Fulya Kama Özelkan, Berfin Çiçek, Enis Demirer
Founding Members: Alev Topuzoğlu, Annedith Schneider, Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Ayşe Betül Çelik, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Deniz Tarba Ceylan, Dicle Koğacıoğlu, Gülayşe Koçak, Huriye Arıkan, Hülya Adak
Coordinator: Hülya Adak (2006-2009), Ayşe Betül Çelik (2010-2011), Ayşe Yüksel (2008-2011), Olcay Özer (2012- 2015), Ayşegül Taşıtman (2016-2018), Ceyda Karadaş Terzioğlu (2018-2023)
Assistants: Olcay Özer (2009-2011), Armanc Yıldız (2014-2015), Betül Sarı (2016-2018), Emine Ebru Çitil (2018-2019), Tuğba Yavuz (2019)
Program Trainers (2006-2018)
Akşin Somel, Alev Topuzoğlu, Arzu Şenyurt, Aslı İkizoğlu, Aslıhan Ünsal, Ateş Altınordu, Aylin Vartanyan, Aynur Yıldıran, Ayşe Betül Çelik, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Ayşe Şentürk, Ayşecan Terzioğlu, Ayşegül Bayar, Ayşegül Taşıtman, Ayşen Candaş, Ayşen Ufuk Sezgin, Ayten Sönmez, Ayzin Çelik, Başak Tuğ, Begüm Acar, Beril Taşkın, Bilhan Gözcü, Borhan Sayedy, Çağla Aydın, Cenk Özbay, Ceren Acartürk, Ceyda Karadaş, Çiçek Tahaoğlu, Cihan Koral Malak, Deniz Gündoğan, Deniz Tarba Ceylan, Ebru Çitil, Ebru Nihan Celkan, Efsun Sertoğlu, Emirhan Deniz Çelebi, Emrah Kurum, Ender Cesur, Erdal Demirağ, Esin Düzel, Evra Çetin, Fahriye Dinçer, Fatmagül Berktay, Ferda Ülker, Feride Güneri, Feyza Akınerdem, Füsun Kayatürk, Gökçeçiçek Ayata, Gözde Ertekin, Gülayşe Koçak, Gülhan Balsoy, Gülru Göker, Halim Kır, Halime Güner, Hazal Halavut, Hülya Adak, Hülya Durudoğan, Huriye Arıkan, İkbal Polat, İlayda Ece Ova, İlker Birbil, İnanç Sümbüloğlu, İnci Kerestecioğlu, İpek Gürkaynak, İştar Gözaydın, Kadriye Bakırcı, Kenan Çayır, Lülüfer Körükmez, Mehmet Bozok, Melek Göregenli, Melike Ergün, Melisa Soran, Meral Güçeri, Mert Koçak, Midori Koçak, Muhtar Çokar, Mutlu Öztürk, Nazlı Eda Noyan, Nazlı Hazar, Nilüfer Kafescioğlu, Nurcan Çetinbaş, Nurgül Öz, Özge Akbulut, Pınar Arkan, Pınar Ege, Pınar Yolum, Reyhan Tutumlu, Rûken Alp, Şahika Yüksel, Selen Çatalyürekli, Selin Altunkaynak, Selmin Cansu Demir, Serap Özer, Serpil Sancar, Seven Kaptan, Sevilay Çelenk, Sevim Can, Sibel Irzık, Süphan Bakkal, Tuğba Yıldırım, Üzüm Derin Solak, Yeşim Er, Yeşim Selçuk, Yeşim Sünbüloğlu, Yıldız Ramazanoğlu, Zeynep İskenderoğlu Önel, Zeynep Yeke
Çağdaş Drama Derneği, Eğitim Reformu Girişimleri, Eksi25 Derneği, Filmmor Kadın Kooperatifi, KAMER, Listag Aileleri, Öğretmen Ağı, SEÇBİR Öğretmenleri, Uçan Süpürge
Coordinators: Dilara Çalışkan (2014-2016), Sema Semih (2016- 2020)
Project Specialists: Selen Çatalyürekli (2018-2019), İlayda Ece Ova (2018-2019)
Coordinator: Sema Semih (2017-2020)
Project Specialist: Berfu Serçe (2020)
GEARING-Roles/ Araştırma Kurumlarında Toplumsal Cinsiyet Rollerini Dönüştürmek İçin Cinsiyet Eşitliği Eylemleri (2021-2023)
Proje sorumlusu: İlayda Ece Ova (2018-2022), Fulya Kama Özelkan (2022-2023)
WHOLE-COMM/ 2014 Sonrası Göçmenlerin Küçük ve Orta Ölçekli Kasabalarda ve Kırsal Alanlardaki (KOŞKA) Uyumunun Bütüncül Toplum Perspektifinden Değerlendirilmesi (2020-2024)
Proje sorumlusu: Meral Açıkgöz (2021-2022), Zeynep Ceren Eren Benlisoy (2021-2023)
Antroposen Çağında İmparatorluk Sonrası Hafıza, Toplumsal Cinsiyet ve Travma: Türkiye'de Yeni Yaklaşımlar (MSCA)
Proje sorumlusu: Deniz Gündoğan İbrişim (2021-2023)
RESISTIRE/ Salgınlarla Ortak, Yaratıcı, Kapsayıcı ve Sürdürülebilir Stratejilerle Baş Etme
Proje Sorumlusu: Pınar Ensari (2021-2023), Nazlı Türker (2021-2024)
RE-ROOT/ Yeni Gelenler İçin Uyum Alanları Olarak Varış Altyapıları
Proje sorumlusu: Marhabo Saparova (2021-2024)
As Gender Forum and SU Gender, we would like to thank for their valuable contributions in different periods:
Alev Topuzoğlu, Annedith Schneider, Arzu Bolgül, Ayşe Kadıoğlu, Ayşe Öncü, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Ayşecan Terzioğlu, Ayten Sönmez, Deniz Tarba Ceylan, Dicle Koğacıoğlu, Emine Süphan Bakkal, Gülayşe Koçak, Huriye Arıkan, Hülya Adak, Işık Özel, İlker Birbil, Meral Güçeri, Nakiye Boyacıgiller, Reyhan Tutumlu, Ruken Alp, Selen Erdoğan, Serap Özer, Sibel Irzık, Şirin Tekinay, Tara Hopkins, Tülay Artan, Zehra Sayers, Zeynep İskenderoğlu