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Onar

Onar is a project born as an idea of women who have the experience of migration under their belt, a solid background in the social sphere and gender awareness.

Onar is primarily a network.  Being a woman and being foreign, often makes you feel like an outcast. Balancing this combination at the same time is difficult, adventurous and rewarding. But it implies you must have a safety net. Because if the net is not there, there is risk.

The network we created as ONAR is made up of different organizations, professionals in various fields, institutions, shelters, desks, foundations but mostly, individuals.  Women for women, creating and sharing a positive, supportive, culturally and socially engaged environment.

Onar is made up by women, foreign and Turkish together, collaborating to create something meaningful.

The structure of Onar is well organized in a horizontal way: this means that every idea and every project has a value and every person has their own place.

Onar and its volunteers organize events and courses specifically designed and targeted to develop and sustain the infra gender solidarity and development of women.

• Turkish language classes: the goal is to make the communication between foreign women and Turkish institutions, police etc. easier and smooth.
• Legal seminars: provides basic and helpful information for everyday life by learning the rights and duties we have as foreign women in Istanbul. Seminars are meant to provide information about immigration laws, personal status, family law, violence against women, minors law.
• Workshops: focusing on dance, drama, art therapy, singing and improvisation. These activities have the dual purpose of promoting the awareness of ourselves, of our physical presence, our uniqueness and finding communication tools that go beyond the spoken language.

Onar wants to build a network and an environment that will make possible to create a contact point women can refer to in case of need.

On behalf of the Istanbul Convention, ratified by Turkey in 2012, Onar wants to make its contribution to the cause of prevention of gender based violence, ensuring women who are not fluent Turkish speakers, a hot-line with a daily coverage and a location where women are welcomed in case of need.

Onar is aware that migrant women have different backgrounds and they face different challenges, often based on their geographical areas of origin.

Onar believes that in order to provide support, it is necessary to collaborate with all organizations in the territory that focus on women and migration causes.  Also, Consulates, cultural institutions, universities, associations of foreigners.   The focus ONAR ranges from Erasmus students to refugees and asylum seekers.

Onar first chooses to focus on women with regular residence permits in Turkey, but it welcomes every woman without any distinction of race, religion, origin, status.

Onar is a project from which no one is excluded. It needs the dedicated and compassionate support of everybody.