Gender Empowerment and Equality

ATAA UN Related Announcement# 35

In Support of “ International Women’s Day (March 8)

Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA),
Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA),
Empowering the Turkish American Community (ETAC-USA),
Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI),
Değişim Liderleri Derneği (DLD),
Azerbaijan Center of Midwest America (ACMA), and
Youth Groups

Jointly Present a Webinar on

Gender Empowerment and Equality
Breaking Free from Gender Stereotypes and Expectations

Sunday, March 9, 2025
12:00pm ET, 11:00am CT, 9:00am PT, 20:00 TR

Language: English

Background

On March 9, 2025, Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), Turkish Women’s League of America Inc. (TWLA), Empowering the Turkish American Community (ETAC-USA), formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC), Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI), Değişim Liderleri Derneği (DLD), Azerbaijan Center of Midwest America (ACMA), and Youth Groups jointly will hold a virtual event titled ‘Gender Empowerment and Equality – Breaking Free from Gender Stereotypes and Expectations’ in support of “ International Women’s Day (March 8).

Introduction

This program’s objective is the empowerment and equality of the next generation youth, particularly young women and adolescent girls for lasting change. In this program we will talk about gender related misconceptions, its impact to women’s and societies’ development and propose solutions; identify actions we can take to improve gender empowerment and equality within our communities.

Program

Opening Remarks and Introduction by
Dr. Nilüfer Esen-Bilgin
ATAA President

Moderators

Dr. Selim Erhan
Mehmet Taşcıoğlu

Keynote Speakers

Alev Wieland
Co-Chair, ATAA UN Committee & ATAA President-Elect
Breaking Free from Gender Stereotypes and Expectations

Sema Başol
Co-Founder, Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI)
Sparks Program: Empowering Young Women as Change Leaders

* * *

Youth Perspectives Panel Discussion

Mehmet Taşcıoğlu
Co-Founder and Chair, ATAA Youth Committee
The Gender Divide: Insights from the Numbers

İlayda Yeni
Secretary, ATAA Youth Committee
Women’s Rights Throughout the World

Sean Özalpaşan
The Women of the Early Republic

Yasemin Amanda Knott
Words, Her World: Poems about Women’s Rights and the Feminine Experience

Ece Yenigün
Representation of Women in Media and Impact on Society

Nazrin Iskandarova
Importance of Educating Women for the Progression of a Nation

Sanem Kara
The Medusa Complex: Power, Fear, and Feminine Rage

* * *

Musical Performance By
Lal Beşir
Her Voice – Celebrating Women Composers in Opera

* * *

Upcoming Program Announcement by
Yücel Burdurlu
Co-Chair, ATAA UN Committee

Closing Remarks by
Alev Wieland
Co-Chair ATAA UN Committee & ATAA President-Elect

Biographies

Alev Wieland

ATAA President-Elect , ATAA UN Committee Co-Chair

Alev Wieland has Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Cincinnati, OH. Worked for Balcan Engineering at Proctor of Gamble as Project Engineer for 7 years. She retired from PepsiCo, Inc-AMEA Capability Director in 2012.

Alev has extensive experience in Lean Manufacturing, Lean Product Life Cycle Management, Equipment and Processes Development. Project Management, Construction Management, Food Manufacturing, Paper Converting, Cosmetics and Laundry Soap Industries. She has solid understanding of Engineering, Manufacturing and Operations Processes. She is an expert in ISO 9001 and GMP Certifications and Standards. Alev is the CEO of Manufacturing Excellence Technical Services and Alev Cosmetics.

Alev has been serving as the President-Elect of ATAA since May 2024. She served on the ATAA Board of Directors as the Southwest Region Vice President from 2020 to 2024 and as First Vice President from October 2023 to May 2024. Alev also serves as the co-Chair of the ATAA UN Relations Committee and Chair of the ATAA Newsletter Committee.

She is the Secretary General and NGO Relations Director Contemporary Education Foundation (COEDFO) since 2013, has been responsible for organizational communication, meetings management, documentation, website management. As the Trustee and active member of the Turkish American Association of Northern Texas (TURANT), she has been providing organizational operations support to its elected board members and helping with executions of projects since 2000.

Since 2008, Alev takes active role at her local Main Street Organization and International Community, helps with organizations of the major festivals that is proven to become the key events that provides income to the city. She served as President of Cincinnati Turkish American Association (CTAA) from 1994 to 1996.

Since 2023 Alev serves as the Trustee of the Turkish American Visual and Performing Arts (TAVPA).

Since March 2024, Alev is serving Dallas Turkish Businesswomen’s Network as the Advisor.

Sema Başol

Co-Founder, Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI)

Sema Başol, who is Turkish-American, is a global marketing and non-profit executive with over 35 years of experience both in the U.S. and in Turkey.

Sema is the co-founder of Turkish Women’s Initiative, a US-based non-profit, founded in 2008, that promotes the advancement of women through innovative community-based programs.

She is also the founder of Değişim Liderleri Derneği (Change Leaders Association) based in Turkey that provides leadership skills training for university women through its signature Sparks Program. Close to 700 young women have graduated from this program. The social change projects they have created and implemented have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The stories of the graduates are captured in Sema’s first book “Sparks: transformational stories of young women who dream of a better world” published in Turkey by Doğan Kitap.

Sema holds a B.A. degree from Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey and an M.B.A. from UCLA Anderson School. She is married to Dr. Bülent Başol and has two sons.

Youth Speakers

Mehmet Taşcıoğlu

ATAA Youth Committee Co-Founder and Chair

Mehmet Taşcıoğlu is a student at Stanford University studying Management Science & Engineering. In 2019, he co-founded the Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan’s High School Chapter, serving as President from 2020 to 2021 and Past President from 2021 to 2022. In 2020, he co-founded the Assembly of Turkish American Associations Youth Committee, and currently serves as Chair. Additionally, Mehmet is the Founder & Chair of the Board of Directors for Connect Me Tutoring, the

largest student-run free tutoring service in the US. On the entrepreneurial side, Mehmet is the CEO and Executive Producer of the College Treehouse, a college consulting and media company with over 10 million monthly views online, and is the Founder and Managing Partner of a Mosaic Cakes LLC, a Turkish dessert company.

Ece Yenigün

Junior, Union College in Schenectady, New York

Ece is currently in her third year of university, studying as a Political Science major at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Throughout her elementary, middle, and high school years, Ece attended the United Nations International School where she successfully completed the International Baccalaureate Program and earned her IB Diploma; studying biology and socio-cultural anthropology as her Higher Level subjects, as well as composing an extended essay in the French language. Her proficiency in four languages (English, Turkish, French, and Spanish) has allowed her to become the aspiring communicator she is today. In addition to academic excellence, Ece was the Captain of both the Girl’s Varsity Basketball and Volleyball Team during her high school years. Within her fourteen years of experience as a violinist, Ece has performed at Carnegie Hall twice and continues to portray her commitment and aspiration for the instrument by playing with the Union College String Orchestra.

Moreover, Ece has also pursued her interest in humanitarian work through internship opportunities such as The New Neighbors Partnership at Columbia University, along with volunteer work with the Turkish Red Crescent Community (Turk Kizilay) at ‘Nizip 2’ and ‘Elbeyli’ Temporary Refugee Accommodation Centers in Gaziantep, Turkey. During her days of volunteering services, Ece had the opportunity of mentoring Syrian refugee children whereby she assisted in aid and food distribution, taught English and Turkish classes, as well as participated in arts and sports activities, such as the implementation of a ceramics course under the framework of a juvenile rehabilitation program.

Yasemin Amanda Knott

UN Youth Representative, Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA)

Yasemin is a Senior Social Work major at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. She will be receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Social work in May 2025, and has been on the Dean’s List and the President’s List since attending Siena College. She is a Student Representative on the Siena College Social Work Advisory Board.

Yasemin has been a Turkish Women’s League of America Youth Representative for the United Nations since January of 2023. Since being inducted into this position, she has attended the Assembly of the Turkish American Associations’ Annual

Conference in 2023 and 2024. She has also made successful presentations on many crucial topics, including The Importance of Language in Maintaining Cultural Diversity, the Importance of Inclusive Education for All, the Human Impact on our Oceans and Steps We Can Take, the

Connection Between Women’s Femininity and our Oceans, Women’s Rights Issues and Advocacy, and more. Yasemin has been a member of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations’ United Nations Youth Forum since April of 2023. Yasemin is learning Turkish and American Sign Language. She attended the Turkish Women’s League of America’s New York Ataturk School and earned a New York Seal of biliteracy in Spanish and English. Through internship experiences, Yasemin has worked within the fields of disability advocacy, early childhood education, and immigrant services, as they relate to Social Work.

Sean Özalpaşan

Harvard-Westlake School, Los Angeles, CA

Sean is a 12th grader who goes to Harvard Westlake School in Los Angeles, California. Sean is a proud member of the Turkish American community, and takes pride in participating in ATASC events around LA.

Because of his diligent work with ATAA, Sean was selected to represent all Turkish-American Youth at the Turkish World Youth Forum, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Sean also enjoys creating his own coding projects, leading his school’s sailing team, and leading his school’s Turkish Club. Furthermore, Sean enjoys traveling and whenever he and his family go to Turkey, they make sure to visit UNESCO recognized ancient historical sites as well as important hallmarks of Ataturk’s legacy on Turkey.

İlayda Yeni

Freshman, Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University

Ilayda is a freshman majoring in Human Biology at Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University. She joined the ATAA Youth Committee Board as the Secretary for the 2024-2026 term. She is an active member of Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan (TACAM). She was in the leadership of the High School chapter all four years as the Treasurer (2020-2022), President (2022-2023), and Past President (2023-2024).

Alongside her duties in the TACAM High School Chapter, Ilayda tutored throughout high school through Connect Me Tutoring, starting off as the Secretary from 2020- 2021. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano and participating in events that give back to her community. She is excited to be working with the ATAA Youth Committee and continuing her passion in spreading her cultural heritage

Sanem Kara

Jewelry Designer and Owner, HVNLY

Sanem is a Jewelry Designer born in Istanbul and raised in the U.S. Her artistic foundation was shaped by years of classical ballet, which nurtured her curiosity for the arts, form, and movement. She studied Fashion Design and Jewelry Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where she refined her craftsmanship and artistic expression.

Now, in her professional career, she continues to develop her own jewelry line, HVNLY, merging costumery and jewelry craftsmanship through metalwork. With a vision for growth, she plans to further evolve within her industry, expanding her expertise and creative influence.

Nazrin Iskandarova

Jones College, Chicago, IL

Nazrin is a junior at Jones College Prep in Chicago, IL, with a strong interest in public health and aspirations to become a pediatrician or physician-scientist. She is actively involved in her school’s Women in STEM Club and Science Olympiad.

Outside of school, she volunteers at an equestrian center, assisting physical and occupational therapists during therapy sessions for children with disabilities, as well as volunteering at her local hospital.

Additionally, she is an active youth member of the Azerbaijani Center of Midwest America (ACMA). She has a passion for dance and enjoys performing traditional Azerbaijani dance showcases at both community and outside of community events.

Musical Performance By

Lal Beşir

Opera Student, Orange County School of the Arts

Lal Besir is a talented Turkish-American soprano with aspirations of becoming a professional opera singer. A senior at the Orange County School of the Arts in the Classical Voice Conservatory, she is deeply involved in her musical community, performing regularly with the Bel Canto Singers and having been a member of the prestigious 2023-2024 Showcase Group.

She is also in the process of developing *HerVoice*, a recital project dedicated to showcasing the works of female composers. Lal studies voice with Michael Stevens, the Chair of the Vocal Department, at The Colburn School, where she is honored as a Herbert Zipper Scholar. This scholarship has afforded her the opportunity to be a member of the Colburn Concert Choir and pursue music theory courses.

Lal is often featured as a soloist at Colburn’s events, further honing her performance skills. Currently auditioning for top conservatories and universities, including Oberlin Conservatory, The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, and USC, Lal plans to study Vocal Performance at the collegiate level. She dreams of one day moving to the East Coast to further her career and contribute to the world of opera.

Project Team

Berna Gürdal

President, Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA)

Berna Gurdal graduated as a dietitian from Hacettepe University’s Nutrition and Dietetics Department in 1997. From 1997 to 1999, she worked as a Corporate Dietitian at Panorama Catering Company. Between 1998 and 2005, she served as a clinical dietitian in the Internal Medicine Department of Uludağ University. During her tenure, she participated as a speaker in various conferences and presented posters at international congresses. In 2006, she contributed to the book Diabetes Mellitus Türkiye by writing on the topic of Nutrition and Diabetes Treatment.

Since 2005, she has been residing in New York, where she earned certificates from Stanford University’s Child Nutrition and Cooking program and Cornell University’s Nutrition and Healthy Living certificate program.

She has been a member of the board of directors at the American Turkish Women’s Association (ATKB) since 2017 and currently provides nutrition and diet consultancy services through BG Life Style. She is married and the mother of two children. Her son Onur graduated from Atatürk School in 2018, and her daughter Duygu graduated in 2023.

Berna Gurdal is serving as the president of ATKB for the 2023-2025 term.

Dr. Selim Erhan

ATAA Trustee and ATAA UN Committee Member

Dr. Selim Erhan was born in Istanbul Turkey. After graduating with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Istanbul, he continued his studies at Western Michigan University with a Ph.D. in Polymer-Organic Chemistry. After teaching at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and Lake Michigan College, he started a research career first at the USDA’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, IL. He continued his career in the private industry, working on application of bio-based products to industrial applications.

Dr. Erhan started actively working on introducing Turkey and the Turkish Culture in USA while studying at Western Michigan University in 1980. He joined the Turkish American Cultural Alliance in 2000 and became active in educational activities and in 2009. He was the co-founder of the highly successful TACA – Public Outreach Program, aiming at educating middle school, high school and university students on important issues. The Public Outreach Organization brought speakers like Prof. Justin McCarthy, Prof. Turkkaya Ataov, Emre Kongar and Lincoln McCurdy.

In 2013 he joined TACA’s Board of Directors and became the Director of the Ataturk School and the Adult Turkish School. Continued as the TACA Public Outreach Chair preparing seminars and conferences to reach out and enlighten the public in the Midwest region.

Dr. Erhan was elected as ATAA’s Midwest Region VP 2015 to 2019. He has continued working at ATAA, helped to form the UN Committee and was instrumental to form the highly successful Turkish American Presidents Group under ATAA, improving communications with the Component Associations in USA and pulling in similar Turkish organizations from Canada. In 2022, he was elected to ATAA’s Board of Trustees.

Yücel Burdurlu

ATAA UN Committee Co-Chair and ATAA Midwest Region Past VP

Yücel Burdurlu was born and raised in Istanbul Türkiye. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Hacettepe University Ankara Turkey, she continued her graduate studies at California State University Long Beach.

After graduating, she started a career in private industry working on applied and theoretical research on coatings and coating raw materials. Yucel worked for Imperial Chemical Industries formerly known as ICI Paints North America in their Strongsville Research Center most of her career in the international innovation team where she was involved variety of interesting projects in collaboration with their Slough Laboratory in Slough, England, ICI France in Rouge, France and ICI South America Research Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Next, Yucel worked for BUNGE Oils North America where, she worked with inorganic synthesis of anticorrosive pigments and tested them in collaboration with Batelle Laboratories in Columbus Ohio, University of Southern Mississippi and Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.

Presently, Yucel is with True Value Manufacturing in Cary Illinois as a Research Chemist. Yucel lives in the suburbs of Chicago. She joined TACA’s Board of Directors in 2013-2015 and she was the Director of the Ataturk School and the Adult Turkish School 2014-2015.

Yucel also has been a member of the Chicago Turkish Festival Planning Committee and a volunteer in the festival since 2013 and has served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Chicago Turkish festivals in 2016 and 2018. Yucel is planning to continue working on bringing Turkish and American groups together using her organization skills, people skills, education skills and her passion for harmony and peace.

Fatma Aldaş

TWLA Past VP, Retired Financial Consultant and Stockbroker

Fatma Aldaş is a retired Financial Consultant, Stockbroker, and International Private Banker. She started her banking career at Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co./JP Morgan Chase Bank from 1973-1999. She served as a Vice President and Customer Relations Manager. She was responsible for developing a book of business and advising high-net-worth individuals from Europe and the Middle East. She continued her career at the Union Bank of Switzerland from 2001-2004, managing European and Middle Eastern clients, developing a book of business, and advising high-net-worth individuals. At Axa Advisors LLC, she started working with domestic clients as a Stockbroker and Financial Advisor from 2006-2011. In 2011, she retired after 35 years of service in the financial sector.

Fatma Aldaş is married and has two children. She also has two wonderful grand kids that she loves endlessly. Her youngest daughter is also a graduate of the New York Atatürk School. Fatma Aldaş has been volunteering with the Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA) since 2006. She served on the Board of Directors of the TWLA for 18 years and held the position of VP for 15 of those years. Since 2022 she has been serving as a UN representative for the Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA) and is currently on the Auditing Committee of the Turkish Women’s League of America (TWLA).

For further inquiries, please e-mail uncommittee@ataa.org, presidentelect@ataa.org (Alev Wieland, Co-Chair & ATAA President Elect)

References: