The UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Culture was inaugurated on 25 October 2019 with the participation of Dr. Saniye Gülser Corat, UNESCO Director for Gender Equality, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Saktanber and Ms. Esra Hatipoğlu Aksoyoğlu, Sector Specialist of the UNESCO Turkish National Committee. The Founding Chair of the Chair is Prof. Dr. Hülya Şimga. The Chair of the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Culture has been held by Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Bozok since February 2024.
Since its establishment, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has been drawing attention to women's human rights, women's empowerment and gender equality and has been working on these issues at the international level. Gender equality, one of UNESCO's two global priorities, is also one of the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals. While there are two chairs in Giresun University and Koç University among the 25 UNESCO chairs that have been working on gender equality in various countries by focusing on different problems, this number has increased to three with the UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Culture at Maltepe University.
Maltepe University UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Culture aims to conduct scientific research and applications at national and international level, develop projects, conduct educational activities, organize scientific meetings and work in cooperation with other chairs in the UniTwin/UNESCO Chairs program, with a particular focus on the relationship between gender issues and culture.