Say Yes, Summer 2004: Getting the Word Out

Even the most promising of initiatives are doomed to fail without a key element -- Awareness. One of the most important aspects in ensuring the success of Haydi Kızlar Okula! (the girls’ education campaign in Turkey) is to make the issues visible since visibility can affect the implementation and outcome of a project from many angles.

There are many reasons why girls don’t attend school. One of the main issues that stand to be affected by increased exposure is economic. An effective public awareness campaign has the potential to reach the eyes and ears of would-be donors. An equally critical step in overcoming the most fundamental obstacle -- poverty -- is getting the word out to families that financial and social support is available.

Too many children are prevented from attending school simply because their families lack the money required for uniforms, books and supplies or because they are concerned about the loss of a labourer who could otherwise contribute to the household income.

A second, persistent excuse is tradition. In a family where illiteracy has been the norm, where girls are married off at an early age, or where families feel that their daughter’s virtue will be in some way compromised, persuasion is the key. Understanding that an educational environment can be a nurturing and supportive one, and that an educated daughter will be better equipped to contribute to the household, are the key goals of the local aspect of the publicity campaign.

Finally, one of the most predominant reasons for the lack of enrolment is the scarcity of classroom space. In all too many cases, there is no local school, and children need to be bussed distances that make their parents uncomfortable. In the winter months, heavy snow blankets the roads, making them impassable, and often the result is that children fail to resume attendance when the roads clear. When information is available about the support systems in place, as well as the urgent need for immediate and increased classroom space, families will be more likely to support regular attendance, while on the national and international levels, material assistance can be provided.

UNICEF Turkey is aiming to bridge the awareness gap through a number of dynamic initiatives. One of UNICEF’s main projects is a publicity blitz in the form of television spots and ‘Radio Theatre’ which addresses the main issues and redefines them in a more positive light.

The first component attempts to highlight the campaign’s most notable success stories by centring on the idea of educated girls as effective role models. Stories will spotlight both pre-teen girls who returned to the classroom after an extended absence, as well as beneficiaries of Haydi Kızlar Okula! who have since returned to their home villages with great fanfare. These anecdotes will be presented in the form of short films and are designed to reach the parents of non-attending girls. They therefore represent a vital stage in the awareness campaign.

The second component of the campaign will demonstrate the importance of collaboration on the local level. In segments entitled Good Models of Implementation, UNICEF will present examples of how teamwork among the various representatives of a region and/or village almost always results in a more efficient outcome.

For example, in Manisa, the Ministry of Health (MOH) collects population information that entails door-to-door visits. The form used to collect this information also incorporates questions on girls’ non-attendance that is helpful to the efforts of the Ministry of National Education (MONE).

These films are aimed at reaching the key local actors such as governors, muhtars, and teachers, and will ultimately be employed as part of UNICEF’s training programme.

For the third component, which targets parents in the remotest provinces, UNICEF is developing a number of radio plays with themes that address the various cultural layers of Turkish society.

Of critical importance to the success of Haydi Kızlar Okula! are UNICEF’s efforts in favour of social mobilisation. This grass roots campaign aims to mobilise local teachers, school counsellors, midwives, nurses, civil servants and volunteers to identify families with girls out of school and to convince them of the positive effects of the educational experience. UNICEF is working together with MONE to implement a Training of Trainers (TOT) module to Haydi Kızlar Okula! The TOT campaign is currently in an accelerated stage, with intensified efforts to get as many girls enrolled by the first day of school on September 13th 2004.

In another of its multiple efforts dedicated to the girls’ enrolment initiative, UNICEF is partnering with an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) on the local level to reach families in five of the most disadvantaged regions, including in city slums. This intensified drive will be indispensable in implementing this most important phase in the provinces of İstanbul, Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Adana and Mardin.

The goal is to let the public know that financial incentives are available, and ultimately increase the enrolment of disadvantaged girls between the ages of 6 and 14 by at least 50%. Countrywide, the goal is to reduce the gender gap by 50% by the end of 2004 and to eliminate the gap entirely by 2005.

One of the more significant spill-over effects expected to result from these public information initiatives is the creation of the demand for education -- if enough people want it, the political will can be created or swayed to provide it. At a human level, it is also important for the public to understand that educating our children requires that we work together, and even more crucial for families to understand the importance of education in their lives, the lives of their children, and the life of the community as a whole.

See our Programmes section for more about Haydi Kızlar Okula!.

A Gender Review in Education, Turkey 2003 is an analysis of the various factors that affect girls’ education in this country. ‘Claiming the Future’ -- an interview with Dr Nur Otaran, the coordinator of the document, is featured in the Summer 2003 issue of ‘Say Yes’.

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