What is the project about?

Financed by Sabancı Foundation and being implemented in cooperation with Ministry of Family and Socia Services, Young Women Building Their Future Project focuses on increasing the employability of young women aged 18–35 who are neither in education nor in employment (NEET).

With the Phase II, the Project aims to develop mechanisms that support young women’s participation in the labour market, strengthen their capacities, and establish sustainable cooperation structures at local and national levels.
 

What is the current situation?

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), 30.3% of young people aged 18–29 in Türkiye is classified as NEET. Among young women, this rate reaches 43.4% (TURKSTAT, 2024).

Care responsibilities (such as childcare, elderly and disabled care), early marriages, low levels of vocational education, and entrenched gender roles significantly limit young women’s participation in the labour market. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting women’s employment opportunities.

This context highlights the urgent need for comprehensive and multi-stakeholder interventions targeting young women.
 

What is our mission?

In Phase II, the Project aims to:

• Increase the employability of NEET young women aged 18–35,
• Develop good practice models and sustainable mechanisms at local and national levels,
• Strengthen cooperation among stakeholders,
• Enhance young women’s competencies and support their access to the labour market,
• Raise societal awareness regarding NEET young women.

How are we doing this?

The Project adopts a holistic and multi-stakeholder approach to increase the employability of NEET young women aged 18–35.

• A Stakeholder Mapping Study is conducted to identify and make visible existing and planned initiatives supporting women’s empowerment across Türkiye.
• In the pilot provinces (Ankara, İstanbul, Afyonkarahisar, Gaziantep, Samsun, and Bursa), consultation processes are carried out with public institutions, local authorities, and other relevant stakeholders.
• A Local Action Plan Guideline for NEET Women is being developed.
• Capacity-building activities are organized for local and national stakeholders.
• Over 2,000 NEET young women receive mentoring support.
• 5,000 NEET young women are provided with career counselling services.
• More than 5,500 young women benefit from vocational trainings, digital skills development programs, psychological resilience trainings, rights-based awareness sessions, and future-of-work skills development activities.
• Face-to-face trainings are organized in the pilot provinces.
• Analytical reports on the employability of NEET young women are prepared.
• Regular consultation meetings are held with business representatives and local authorities.
• Communication activities and participation in national and international events are carried out to enhance the visibility of the Project and raise awareness regarding NEET young women.

Through collaborations with relevant institutions, career counselling and referral mechanisms are further strengthened, and both online and face-to-face programs are implemented to support young women’s individual empowerment and labour market integration.
 

How will Türkiye benefit?

The Project aims to increase young women’s participation in the labour market and ensure their more active inclusion in economic life.

Through strengthened cooperation mechanisms at local and national levels, transitions from education to employment will be facilitated, and sustainable support structures will be established.

In the long term, the Project seeks to unlock young women’s potential and enable them to contribute more effectively to economic growth and social development in Türkiye.