Click to read the article in Turkish
The British Council has been working in Turkey continuously since 1940. The council has been celebrating its 80th anniversary in the country by sharing the inspiring stories of 80 women in a digital project.
Expressing its belief in the crucial importance of gender equality and women's empowerment for creating inclusive, open and prosperous societies, British Council has set out to celebrate its 80th anniversary by sharing the stories of 80 women whose paths have crossed with the British Council in Turkey in the past 80 years.
'Crossing paths: 80 years of changing lives' digital project has been developed to celebrate and widely share the inspiring stories of these 80 women. The council has run a six-week crowdsourcing campaign and gathered more than 100 stories across six decades in June 2020. 80 stories were selected to represent different age groups, regions and subjects.
Click to read the stories in English
'So many wonderful stories'
Cherry Gough, the Turkey Director of the British Council, has also shared the following information about the project in the foreword:
"This year we're leading up to the Women of the World: Istanbul Festival which will be held online in March 2021.
"So to celebrate the opportunities and impact we've shared with so many people in this time, we decided to gather stories from women whose lives have changed since crossing paths with the British Council.
"The 80 years, 80 women, 80 stories project is the result.
"We've gathered stories from women across Turkey, who wanted to share their experiences about how opportunities to learn, share, travel and collaborate in education, the arts, the English language and science have shaped them personally and professionally.
"After gathering so many wonderful stories, we had to make some tough decisions to be able to share just 80 that represent the widest range of ages, activities and locations.
"I want to thank all those women who shared their fascinating stories, whether they're included here or not.
"And I hope they all enjoyed remembering the time they crossed paths with the British Council, as much as we enjoyed hearing about it!"
You can read the stories of women on British Council website as well as on the social media accounts of the organization. (EMK/SD)