Governor of Şanlıurfa, Yusuf Yavaşçan expresses his views on the UNJP to Local Facilitator Tülay Yılmaz:
 Discrimination - we can call it despotism as well - that stems from the physical power men exert in the development phases of societies was observed in our society in the past as well, and this led to all types of discrimination against women. However, the facts that opportunities of income and education are more widespread today, and that all sections of society place strong emphasis on education led to the emergence of awareness, and efforts are starting to pay off. In this context, I believe that the UN Joint Programme will support such positive flow of events.The representation of women or the inclusion of women's perspective in decision mechanisms, which is indeed your slogan, will help creating a women-friendly city.I believe that the Joint Programme will be successful in creating and raising awareness in our province in a short time. This is a process like passing through milestones, or a relay contest, that must be maintained until the final goal. I hope that the Programme will support this and be successful.I believe it is important that organizations raising similar voices, through different methods, to the same people in the society get together.
This will help in acquiring the custom of consulting which we do not have. The UN Joint Programme is educating us in this respect. The said organizations will have an opportunity to transfer the experience, the knowledge and the level of progress which they acquired when they were doing their work. I think this will help in achieving the goals sooner. An earlier phase will not be unnecessarily repeated and the waste of resources will be prevented. Participation from a larger base will increase reliability and the strength of the message being communicated. I believe the recent legal reforms will assist in including all sections of the society into the decision mechanisms. However, we do such reforms in a manner, say, 'copy-paste method,' by translating and enacting the laws in effect in European countries directly. Even people who are directly concerned with these reforms are not aware of certain aspects of these reforms being enacted. That is, they are not aware of their rights. Whenever they run into something, then they have a right and try to adopt it. That is, we first do the reform and then try to implant it into the society. Indeed, reforms in the society must come into existence through pressures, demands from the society, and meet their needs. I believe that this programme will contribute towards informing the society of their rights, directing the implementation of these reforms through such broad knowledge, and protect their rights.
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