An interactive map helps municipalities in building gender responsive services

UN Women launched a gender responsive interactive tool called the Purple Map for the women of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. The map, which is an easy to use guide that shows women centers, day care centers and gender responsive municipal services of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, aims to make the city safer for women.

The Purple Map interactive web site is developed to respond to the different needs and priorities of women, men, elderly and all segments of the society through gender responsive policies, and developing the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality’s services accordingly.

The Purple Map uses innovative methodology to identify specific locations and physical spaces in the city that require improvement in line with women’s various needs, such as for safety, care services, protection services and mobility. The Purple Map gives also women opportunity to provide feedback and make queries on the services provided by the municipality. Ankara Metropolitan Municipality is planning to analyze the data collected and develop it’s gender responsive services accordingly.

The Purple Map is implemented in partnership with Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation and funded by Sweden through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The interactive tool was introduced to the district municipalities of Ankara and civil society organizations with an event organized at the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality conference hall.

“The map is an exemplary tool for improving gender sensitive service provision at local level. Determining the different needs of all people who are exercising their urban rights and developing gender responsive solutions to those needs and rights are first steps to be taken to achieve gender equality,” says Asya Varbanova, UN Women Turkey Country Director during her opening remark at the launch event of the Purple Map.

“With a focus on needs that our experiences from my country show us are crucial: safety, employment, child care, political participation. This is a great initiative, and I hope it can become a model for other cities and for the whole country,” says Ambassador Staffan Herrström, Embassy of Sweden in Ankara.

“We have always been determined to integrate Sustainable Development Goals in our work. We needed a geography based mapping to improve the municipal services in favor of women. We are making the needs of women visible through the tools like the Purple Map,” says Mustafa Çokakoğlu, Deputy Secretary General of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.

“Data-based decision making and access to information are fundamental democratic dimensions in urban policies. The Purple Map is at the intersection of urban governance, sustainability, gender equality, digital policy tools, transparency and accountability,”says

Necla Zarakol, Vice Chair of the Executive Board, Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation

UN Women aims to further promote the map to be mobilized by other municipalities in Turkey and continue supporting municipalities on providing gender responsive services.