The 16 Days of Activism - End Violence Against Women Campaign starts every year on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and continues until 10 December, Human Rights Day. With this campaign organized by the United Nations (UN) on a global scale, for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls, expressions are made louder and projects are implemented.
In this context, every year, individuals and institutions that respond to the UN Secretary General's call to "Paint the World Orange", draw attention to violence against women by using the color orange, which symbolizes light and hope.
We, as Aydem Energy, combat for violence against women, and also address this as a human rights and business world issue. In 2021, we have participated in the "Business Against Domestic Violence" (BADV) program conducted by Sabancı University with SU Gender and TÜSİAD (Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association), and have issued our "Aydem Energy Combating Domestic Violence" procedure. We have established legal and psychological counseling lines where our employees can consult 24/7, and with a broad perspective from flexible working rights to financial support mechanisms, we have planned the support to be provided in case our employees are exposed to violence. Please click here to review our procedure.
In this sensitive process, in order to establish correct communication, to address our employees who are exposed to violence accordingly and to define violence, we have organized trainings together with Sabancı University Corporate Governance Forum on defining violence, for all for the managers and for the human resources team.
In order to raise awareness of our customers about violence against women through our retail companies, we have placed special designs on our electricity bills containing the contact information of the Emergency Helpline of the Turkish Federation of Women's Associations. On the back side of the electricity bills distributed to our 5.5 million customers in Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, İzmir and Manisa, the message of "We Are With Women, Against Violence. If you need, call the Domestic Violence Emergency Helpline (0212 / 0549 656 96 96") of the Turkish Federation of Women's Associations and ask for support!" is included.
We are initiating a new solidarity project together with the Turkish Federation of Women's Associations. We donate our smartphones in the company to the federation so that women who are exposed to violence can use to call the emergency hotlines when in need.
We continue to provide our gender equality trainings to all our group employees. Our trainings, which we have started with a virtual classroom layout, continue with one-to-one trainings, in a manner to include all our locations, power plants and production areas. In our trainings, we, as a group discuss the gender roles, prejudices and the spiral of violence and raise awareness.
As Aydem Energy, we are also an active member of the "Companies Network Against Domestic Violence ", which has been created within the scope of the Business Against Domestic Violence (BADV) project, with the purpose of increasing the communication between the participating companies, the inspiration they receive from each other, the sharing of their experiences and knowledge in the process, and the dissemination of good practices.
During the 16 days of activism campaign within the scope of combating violence against women, we light up our companies and electricity poles in orange to raise awareness.