Çember Civil Initiative Association (ÇemberDE) was founded in Eskişehir in 2023 by a group of women who have been working in various fields of civil society for many years.
Our story, however, began a little earlier, after the earthquakes of February 6th. Immediately after the disaster, the team came together and went into the field in Adıyaman to carry out humanitarian aid and empowerment work, focusing especially on the needs of women. Over time, we saw that it is not enough to simply meet women's needs in disasters; their knowledge, experience, and organizational capacity need to become an integral part of crisis management.
This experience shaped ÇemberDE's establishment and working approach.
Today, we work in diverse areas ranging from disaster preparedness and response to women's economic and social empowerment, local development, and climate resilience. Together with women's organizations, local governments, NGOs, and local communities, we explore ways to build more resilient, equitable, and participatory systems.
For ÇemberDE, solidarity is not just a form of support that kicks in during times of crisis; it's a way of thinking together, creating together, and building decision-making processes together.
That's why our story is still being written.
Vision
ÇemberDE operates with a vision of a crisis-resilient society and equal, balanced, and fair development.
Mission
With this vision, ÇemberDE works towards gender equality and the empowerment of women in the civil sphere.
Founding Team
Merve Ayşe Köseoğlu Güngörmezler
Gulfer Kirbas
Executive Team
Advisory board
Adıyaman Office - K15 Temporary Living Area 2024
Civil Voices Festival - Ankara, 2026
We've celebrated our first anniversary!
For a year, we've been looking for ways to form new circles, taking new steps, and sometimes even running hand in hand.
We compiled and detailed everything we did, all the activities, events, workshops, and association work we carried out in 2024, in our "2024 Activity Report," documenting it for posterity.
Thank you to everyone who supported us and participated in our circles during our first year, and we wish to celebrate many more years together, in even larger numbers!
The 2025 Activity Report is out!
As Çember Civil Initiative Association, throughout 2025 we carried out multifaceted activities ranging from feminist solidarity after disasters to local gender equality studies, women's participation in the city, advocacy, education, health, economic solidarity and institutional empowerment processes.
In this activity report, we have brought together the solidarity networks we have established in the field, primarily in Adıyaman and Eskişehir, the knowledge we have gained by learning from women's experiences, and our practices of empowerment through collaboration. Our 2025 Activity Report makes visible ÇemberDE's growing solidarity, deepening local work, and collective steps towards a feminist future in its second year.