Social Gender Equality

Fair Tales

Studies suggest that the concept of equality and gender bias are learned at a young age and children are confronted with gender norms, the results of which will be seen throughout their lives in their homes, schools and communities, from an early age . With this awareness, Odeabank aims to raise awareness on gender equality in the whole society by reconsidering worldfamous fairy tales from an egalitarian perspective with the Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) project, which it launched in 2020. Believing in an equal future, Odeabank aims to spread an egalitarian understanding among today’s children for an equal tomorrow.

Within the scope of the project, the most popular fairy tales were reinterpreted for parents and children, who realize the critical importance of the information learned at childhood in ensuring gender equality. The first phase of the Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) project, the content advisor of which is Prof. Ayşe Bilge Selçuk and which is carried out in cooperation with Can Publications, focused on rewriting stories such as Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella. In the second phase of the project, the stories of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and the Frog Prince were reinterpreted, aiming to ensure children adopt an egalitarian approach regarding social roles.

Through the gender equality in social roles approach, world-famous fairy tale protagonists were reinterpreted as the smart and strong Little Red Riding Hood, the bold, daring and free-raised Rapunzel, the smart and curious Cinderella who discovers the world through books, the Frog Prince who chooses goodness and equality, and the Kind Prince, who is strong because of his kind heart and intelligence. Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales), which succeeded in breaking down stereotypical gender norms, was adapted to the theater as a children’s play in 2021. The play was staged for the first time in Alan Kadıköy at the 25th İstanbul Theatre Festival, organized by the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). It reached more than 3000 children through 10 plays until the end of the year. Odeabank succeeded in bringing Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) books to approximately 50,000 children in 348 schools, 81 of which were in villages. The Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) project has won awards in various categories.

You can get Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) books free of charge at Odeabank branches or from here and download digital copies.

Odeabank, which participated in the library project of the Süreyya Ağaoğlu Friends of Children Association, which supports children’s education and learning, within the framework of the Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) project, contributed to the establishment of the libraries of 25 village schools by donating a total of 1,000 books. Moreover, with the projects it carried out with LamON9 Social Assistance Association, it brought books to approximately 1,000 students with the support it provided to 10 different village schools. Additionally, through the “What Happened Next?” project by LamON9 Social Assistance Association, of which Odeabank is part, children were asked to write alternative endings for Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) protagonists and encouraged to think that different gender roles are possible, despite social norms. Studies on critical thinking of gender roles, especially in village schools, and library support are valuable for Odeabank in terms of supporting the education of girls and disadvantaged children.

Within the scope of the cooperation with Boğaziçi University’s Technology and Education Laboratory for the Visually Impaired (GETEM), Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) books were added to the GETEM internet library with audio descriptions in order to ensure that the project reaches more children. In addition, in cooperation with Her Şey Platformu, tales were made accessible to children with visual and hearing impairments by adding audio descriptions, sign language translation and subtitles to the videos of the Eşit Masallar (Fair Tales) project. This initiative once again showed the major importance Odeabank attaches to equality of opportunity and accessibility as well as gender equality.

More than 350 Odeabank employees attended Gender Equality Seminars organized in cooperation with “Value for Equality”, an initiative of the Mother-Child Education Foundation (AÇEV). This cooperation with AÇEV and the seminars helped Odeabank in setting its targets for gender equality for the future.

Odeabank is a signatory to the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the global private sector initiative of the United Nations, which aims to ensure that women participate in economic life on equal terms and work under fair conditions. WEP, created in cooperation with the United Nations Global Compact (UN Global Compact) and the United Nations Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Unit (UN Women), guides the private sector and the entire society towards achieving gender equality. With the signature of the Odeabank CEO, the commitments set out in the Women’s Empowerment Principles to ensure gender equality throughout the Bank’s entire organization were adopted and placed among the Bank’s fundamental principles.

Realizing its social investments through sponsorship activities, Odeabank has made it its mission to support female athletes by sponsoring the freediving world record holder national diver Şahika Ercümen with Oksijen Hesap. Şahika Ercümen, with the main sponsorship of Oksijen Hesap on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the Republic dived 100 meters without swimfins and a tube, making headlines in the Turkish and global press as the new holder of the world record, which previously stood at 95 meters. In collaboration with Şahika Ercümen, Odeabank has not only demonstrated its support for women in all areas of society, but also raised awareness on gender equality and environmental protection.​