Local governments in relation of women and city: women friendly cities in Nevşehir sampling

Division of labor based on gender and patriarchal society structure caused public sphere and urban life to have patriarchal appearance and women to stay within the borders of "home" and home-centered life and to not make their presence felt in urban sphere. Special measures are needed for existence of women who are among the basic disadvantaged groups of city and who cannot benefit from many urban rights in accordance with human rights in urban sphere. Special measures to be taken will have an important role in democratization of local governments. In this study, challenges which women faced in urban life were discussed; it was searched that how applications to be conducted by local governments for practical and strategic needs of women and services to be presented will affect women' daily lives which are becoming harder together with roles imposed themselves in private field. In the study, Nevşehir which is among the cities undertaking to be women-friendly city within the scope of United Nations Common Program was selected as sampling area, activities conducted in Nevşehir within the body of Women-Friendly Cities Project were discussed. The study was realized after the first stage of United Nations Common Program was completed and semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out with 15 women living in Nevşehir. As a result of interviews conducted, a photograph was found regarding urban problems of women living in Nevşehir. At the end of the study, although first stage of project was completed, it was seen that majority of women interviewed in Nevşehir has problems related with basic minimum urban services and majority of women' relation with urban life in Nevşehir and activities progress in minimum level. This is because that activities conducted within the scope of United Nations Common Program are intended for structural qualifications of local shareholders and it was concluded that this is an obligation due to structure of society.