Ankara University Center of Women’s Studies (AUCWS) in 1993, established at Ankara University, is one of the first centres in this field. Its aims are to produce academic knowledge on gender equality and against discrimination and violence against women, to provide social education and to disseminate the produced knowledge to the society. In this context, the Department of Women’s Studies, which was established under the Social Sciences Institute, was opened in 1996. We continue to try to contribute to the field with theses written in the Department of Women’s Studies. In 2011, our PhD program was opened and a Policy Document Against Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault was signed by our University. The Support Unit against Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault started to work in the same year as well. Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault unit offers all kinds of support (psychological, legal, etc.) to all students and staff who have been harassed and sexually assaulted. It is the first unit in its field in universities. As stated before the Commission on 3 June 2021, it is a unit recommended to be made available in all universities. Since 2009, Fe Journal: Feminist Criticism is also an important journal in the field, with national academic referees. Since 2011, indexed in TR Index. https://search.trdizin.gov.tr/tr/dergi/detay/1365/fe-dergi
In the Gender Equality Certificate Program, nearly 300 people received certificates from our center between 2013-2020. Among the participants are experts working in ministries, those working in NGOs, adults who want to improve themselves, academics and students. As a result of these trainings, we have been receiving very positive feedback. Even though we have not been continuing the trainings for the last three semesters due to the pandemic, we will start again in the Fall semester.
The first director of the center was Dr. Ülker Gürkan, a professor from the Faculty of Law. After she retired, Dr. Serpil Sancar, a professor from the Faculty of Political Sciences, was appointed as the manager. Appointed after Dr. Sancar’s retirement, SBF (Faculty of Political Sciences) faculty member Prof. Dr. Esra Gül Dardağan Kibar started her duty on April 26, 2019 but resigned on her own request on July 17, 2020. Faculty of Communication faculty member Prof. Dr. S. Ruken Öztürk was appointed as the manager on February 23, 2021.