We Need to Talk Association has been fighting against period poverty and menstruation stigma in Turkey since 2016, under the leadership of İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu and Bahar Aldanmaz Fidan, with the support of its team members, volunteers, donors, and sponsors.
OUR MISSION
We are aware that period poverty is much more than the problem of accessing menstrual products. With this awareness, we continue working towards our three main goals.
1. Enhancing the accessibility, quality, and sustainability of menstrual products in Turkey
2. Disseminating data collection and educational content creation on period poverty and menstruation experiences in Turkey
3. Adding comprehensive menstruation and sex education to the National Education Curriculum
OUR TEAM
İlayda Eskitaşçıoğlu
Co-Founder
İlayda Eskitaşcioğlu Karavelioğlu is a human rights lawyer and a menstrual justice activist.
She received her Ph.D. in international human rights law at Koç University in İstanbul, Turkey, and served as a research fellow at the Koç University UNESCO Chair for Gender Equality and Sustainable Development and KOÇ-KAM Gender Studies Center. Her Ph.D. dissertation is about a comparative analysis of the business and human rights mechanisms in Türkiye, Colombia, and South Africa from a gender perspective.
She has served as a member of UN Women’s Generation Equality Youth Task Force and is currently serving as one of the 17 Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals, endorsed by the United Nations, as well as an international consultant for UN Women.
She is the co-founder and president of We Need to Talk, an association that aims to fight against period poverty and menstruation stigma in Turkey. She co-authored a children’s book titled “Let’s Talk: Menstruation
Bahar Aldanmaz
Co-Founder
Bahar Aldanmaz is a Ph.D. Candidate in sociology at Boston University, with a research focus on global health, development, gender, and menstrual justice. Her doctoral research investigates the complex relationships between natural disasters, anti-gender movements, and efforts to promote gender equality, specifically examining the aftermath of recent earthquakes
in Türkiye.
As a co-founder of the Konuşmamız Gerek Association, Bahar is dedicated to advancing menstrual justice in Türkiye. Her written work encompasses a wide range of topics within reproductive justice and includes publications in Think Global Health, Health Policy,
Kadın/Woman 2000, and Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society.
Bahar has also co-authored a children’s book titled “Let’s Talk: Menstruation” designed to provide information to Turkish-speaking children and their caregivers.
Burcu Köleli
Visual Artist
Burcu Koleli is a multidisciplinary creative and freelance illustrator based in Washington, USA. She is a passionate intersectional environmentalist and feminist.
Her illustration works combine digital and traditional mediums. They are inspired by daily life, activism, relationships, and nature. She creates inclusive artwork that celebrates women and nature. She is supporting We Need to Talk as a creative director.
Merve Köse Özbademci
Sustainable Finance Advisor
Merve Köse Özbademci graduated from Galatasaray University with a dual diploma from Sorbonne University on economics major.
Since 2016, she has held various positions under the finance departments of international corporate firms such as General Electric, Insider, Inditex Group and Mondelez International. She has been working as Commercial Finance Manager for Turkey in Diageo Turkey since 2020.
On top, she is working as Sustainable Finance Advisor at We Need to Talk Association and tremendously happy to use her professional skills in a very critical & active NGO in Turkey. Every single day, she wakes up with only one mission to reach more people and geographies together with the We Need to Talk Association.
She supports her mission by trying to create a financial model which is going to be a resource for more sustainable & longer-term plans in order to expand the sphere of influence of the association.
Yüksel Aybacı Serinel
Community Engagement Specialist
Yüksel Aybacı Serinel graduated with honors from the Psychology department of Çağ University and pursued a double major in sociology. Following her graduation, she has worked in institutions such as Acıbadem Hospital, Sevgi Evleri (Children’s Protection Center), Metro Hospital, Rehabilitation Centers, kindergarten, and private counseling centers.
Yüksel has completed her training in Post-Disaster Psychosocial Support, Psychological First Aid, and Crisis Intervention, offering support in disaster-stricken areas. Beyond her psychology degree, she aims to enhance her professional development through therapy training, volunteer work, and field experience.
Yüksel is interested in gender equality, period poverty, and comprehensive sexuality education. She works as the Community Engagement Specialist at We Need to Talk Association, where she focuses on cultivating and enhancing relationships with local women’s organizations in the southern cities of Turkey.
N. Zeynep Kayacan
Coordinatör
Zeynep Kayacan is a sexual and reproductive health and rights activist with a B.A. in psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. She believes in comprehensive sexuality education that provides young people with a necessary toolkit of knowledge, attitudes, and skills to protect and advocate for their health.
She also focuses on the issues of LGBTI+ mental health and well-being while supporting an approach to therapy that embraces an affirmative view of LGBTI+ identities.
Currently, she is the general coordinator at the We Need to Talk Association that
fights against period poverty and menstruation stigma in Turkey.
Cansel Zey
Communication Specialist
Cansel Zey holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Hacettepe University.
She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies at Middle East Technical University.
Her areas of study include gender, feminism, sexual health, and menstruation studies.
Cansel has taken on various roles in different non-governmental organizations, both as a volunteer and a professional.
She currently serves as the Media and Communication Specialist at the Konuşmamız Gerek Association.
Fer Özgüler
Strategy Consultant
Fer Özgüler completed a double major in Business Administration and Economics at Boğaziçi University.
She holds master’s degrees in Global Finance from NYU Stern School of Business and Behavioral Decision Science from Kingston University.
In addition to her career, which began in the finance sector and continues with corporate change consultancy, Fer has focused her volunteer work on gender equality and women’s human rights since 1992, starting with a UN DESA project.
Since 2014, she has contributed as a strategy consultant and change catalyst to numerous NGOs and social enterprises, and has held various roles, including founding partnerships in consumer and women’s cooperative enterprises.
She continues to mentor corporate change and has been serving as the Strategy Consultant at Konuşmamız Gerek Association since 2023.
Gülnur Karapür
Volunteer Relations Specialist
Gülnur Karapür is a psychology graduate. During her undergraduate studies, she founded the Women’s Studies Club at her university.
After graduation, she worked as a research assistant at the University of Exeter, focusing on discrimination and stigma.
Since 2015, she has been engaged in psychosocial support work with national and international non-governmental organizations, both as a volunteer and a professional. She has conducted psychological counseling sessions and group therapy with women who have experienced sexual violence for a long time.
Following the February 6 earthquake, she stayed in Hatay for a year, serving as a psychologist and coordinator in post-disaster mental health and psychosocial support efforts.
Gülnur is interested in gender-based violence, post-trauma approaches, and group work, and has joined the Konuşmamız Gerek Association team as a Community and Volunteer Relations Specialist.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US?
Donation
You can support our work by donating money or menstrual products to the We Need to Talk Association.
Volunteering
You can contribute to the efforts of We Need to Talk by dedicating your time, effort, and knowledge.
Sponsorship and Collaboration
Our door is always open to sponsorship, project, and field collaborations. You can contact us for your individual and corporate sponsorship proposals.