Gender Equality

By: Melis Figanmese “For years I was intimidated though oppression and fear. I went to a KAMER meeting. There was a beautiful woman there. A really beautiful woman, an engaging and confident woman. I was sitting in a corner. I felt so awful at that moment. I felt so low, thinking,” Will she even talk […]

Dear Friend: Happy Mother’s Day! I am a big fan of Turkish Philanthropy Funds. I might have a bias since my son, Mustafa Kemal Abadan, is one of the founders and serves on TPF board. But, beyond that, TPF’s commitment to philanthropy has never ceased to amaze and inspire me. So, I hope you’ll join […]

By: Melis Figanmese Originally published in the Huffington Post. Shocked by its beauty, as the plane landed into the city of Van, in the southeastern region of Turkey, we were engulfed by the bluest of blue water from the lake and snowcapped mountains. On our airplane, Dayle Haddon, UNICEF Ambassador and Founder of WomenOne, and […]

By: Melis Figanmese When a woman has the chance to work and earn her own money, the outcome is outstanding. Not only will that woman lift herself and her family out of poverty, but her pride and confidence will skyrocket. She will pass this same poise onto her children, which will have a lasting effect, […]

By Melis Figanmese This article was originally posted on Huffington Post. In order to provide Founder of Women One and UNICEF Ambassador, Dayle Haddon, with a true understanding of the situation of women in Turkey, Turkish Philanthropy Funds (TPF) felt it was essential to visit various cities throughout our vast, dynamic and diverse country. Each […]

By Gunce Arkan Last year, when our daughter Ayla turned three, we went the predictable three-year-old birthday party route. Reluctant to have her twenty friends in our NY apartment, we rented a small children’s party area, had some food delivered, got a cake, prepared games, and bought party favors. It was not an extravagant event […]

This post was originally posted on Huffington Post. By Senay Ataselim Yilmaz At the age of seven I was stuck with the dream of “being a doctor” because that was an acceptable occupation for women in Turkey, even though my true dream was to be an astronaut.  When I finished Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, […]