BAU Equality and Inclusion Commission (BAU EQUAL) Has Begun Its Work

In December 2019, our University announced, by publishing a declaration of intent, that it would carry out work to ensure gender equality and to prevent all forms of violence and discrimination, particularly sexual harassment and workplace violence. Following this declaration, a working group composed of academics who are each experts in their fields, with the mission of developing an egalitarian and inclusive approach in all activities and processes carried out by our university, began its work in October 2020. We are pleased to announce that this working group, which we have named the BAU Equality and Inclusion Commission (BAU EQUAL), has drawn up a work program on what can be done regarding sexual harassment and gender-based violence, workplace violence and discrimination-based violence. The ideas and actions shaped during the BAU EQUAL meetings are currently at an early stage. However, we believe that the steps we take will have lasting results, and on the occasion of 8 March International Women's Day, we would like to share with you the progress we have made so far.

So far, BAU EQUAL has examined local and international models to identify the steps to be taken to create a violence-free campus and an inclusive education/work atmosphere. It has launched a series of analyses targeting students and employees to understand the current situation at Bahçeşehir University. It is also working on the design of a detailed internal survey to identify and respond to the specific needs of BAU members. This internal survey aims to determine the perceptions and attitudes of BAU employees and students regarding gender equality, living with differences and inclusion. The survey is expected to serve as a situation analysis for the institutional policies to be implemented. Following the analysis of the data to be collected through the survey, in-house training programs, panels, workshops organized with student clubs and campus-wide activities are planned in this field.

The BAU Equality and Inclusion Commission (BAU EQUAL) values preventive training on the path to becoming a violence-free campus/workplace, and also aims to take the initiative on the course of action to be followed when such incidents occur. In this context, establishing an authority within Bahçeşehir University to which anyone exposed to an act falling within the definition of sexual harassment and gender-based violence or discrimination-based violence can apply is also among the goals of BAU EQUAL.

As members of the BAU Equality and Inclusion Commission (BAU EQUAL), we hope that the solutions we will produce, always adopting participatory methods, will offer effective and sustainable practices for our University's vision of creating an inclusive, equal and violence-free campus life, and we sincerely celebrate 8 March International Women's Day with all women.

Members of the BAU Equality and Inclusion Commission:

Prof. Dr. Tunç Bozbura, Prof. Dr. Aslı Makaracı Başak, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pınar Melis Yelsalı Parmaksız, Dr. Bahar Tanyaş, Dr. Gül Şener, Dr. Güner Hande Ulutürk, Dr. Nora Tataryan Aslan, Dr. Sinan Aşçı, Arzu Yüksel.