Suna’s Daughters Hosts “Child-Centered City: A Search for Equality” Symposium

Suna’s Daughters organized the symposium "Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality" to create safer and more supportive urban environments for children. Academics, experts, and representatives from civil society gathered to discuss how to develop child-centred ecosystems and the role of data in shaping policies.

The symposium, held on Wednesday, January 29, at the Pera Museum Auditorium, brought together academics, experts, policymakers, and civil society professionals. Participants examined the factors influencing children's development and explored proposals for an ecosystem that supports them in realizing their full potential.

The event was part of the Child-Centered City digital platform and the exhibition "Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality," initiated by the Suna’s Daughters Research Support Community. Using existing data, this digital platform visualizes how services for children in urban settings relate to different vulnerability levels. The symposium convened ecosystem stakeholders to discuss the current landscape and potential solutions for creating safer and more supportive spaces for children.

The symposium commenced with an opening speech by Suna’s Daughters' General Coordinator, Burcu Gündüz Maşalacı, who introduced Suna’s Daughters and emphasized the importance of ecosystem facilitation. In her speech, Maşalacı highlighted the significance of establishing a strong solidarity network among children, institutions, and services in their surroundings.

Following this, Prof. Dr. Şükrü Hatun, a faculty member at Koç University School of Medicine, presented a holistic perspective on child development, addressing key influences ranging from nature and family to social environment, education, and health.

The symposium continued with the session "What Does the Data Say?" featuring Dr Aysel Madra, Research Coordinator at Suna’s Daughters; Çağla Ayaz, Project Manager at the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV); Ekin Gencer, Senior Policy Analyst at the Education Reform Initiative (ERG); Hasan Deniz, Director of Corporate Partnerships and Advocacy at the Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV); and Özge Acar, Deputy General Manager of Needs Map. In this session, speakers discussed how data can be utilized to improve services for children. Insights drawn from field data provided preschool, primary education, and non-formal education analyses.

In the final session, titled "Towards an Ecosystem that Supports Child Development," Melda Akbaş, Programs Coordinator at Suna’s Daughters; Dr Buğra Gökce, President of the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA); Hacer Foggo, Founder of the Deep Poverty Network; Prof. Dr Tarık Tuncay, Faculty Member at Hacettepe University’s Department of Social Work; and Dr Zeynep Kılıç, Researcher, Author, and Children's Rights Educator, discussed solution-oriented proposals. Speakers shared multidimensional recommendations for improving children's quality of life, covering topics from social perception to education, social services, and urban planning.

The exhibition "Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality," prepared with contributions from Suna’s Daughters and the Istanbul Research Institute, will be open to visitors at the Istanbul Research Institute until May 4, 2025. The exhibition brings together maps, panels, and findings that illustrate the social and economic conditions shaping children's daily lives.