On October 11, International Day of the Girl, Suna’nın Kızları organized the “Girls Stronger Together Forum” in Hatay, where girls shared their ideas on making their city safer, more accessible, and more inclusive.
Held in collaboration with the Turkish Philanthropy Funds as part of Hatay’s reconstruction project, the event brought girls together around the question: “What kind of city do we want to live in?”
During the forum, the Hatay Girls’ Community presented the projects they had designed and collectively worked on with other participants to further develop them. The girls voiced their experiences and proposed solutions on topics such as safe transportation, access to play and recreation areas, clean environments, and secure public spaces.
Among the key ideas that emerged were employing more female drivers, enhancing the safety of playgrounds and sports areas, and increasing the number of libraries and green spaces.
Through this initiative, Suna’nın Kızları aims to strengthen girls’ participation in Hatay’s reconstruction process and ensure that their ideas become an integral part of urban planning and social life. The program continues to co-create with girls and to promote a girl-centered design approach in rebuilding efforts.
At the 9th Major Community Gathering, the Suna’nın Kızları communities came together to review the past year’s outcomes and align on project plans for 2026. Participants explored new ideas and collaboration opportunities on how the model and programs co-developed with 33 civil society organizations over the past four years can further support and reinforce one another.
The Istanbul Research Institute continues to offer free guided tours of the exhibition The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect: Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu 1893–1982, which sheds light on the life of one of the most unconventional architects of his time, spanning the late Ottoman and early Republican periods.
The catalogue Extraordinary Minas: The Story of Inspiration and Innovation in Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics examines the efforts of Kütahya masters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to revive the disappearing craftsmanship of tile-making by focusing on a master and a group of his work, by presenting objects from the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection.