Building Inclusive CSO Governance: The Story of Mor ?at?'s Feminist Approach to CSO Governance

The Mor ?at? Women's Shelter Foundation, established in 1990, has been a cornerstone in the fight against violence towards women in Türkiye. Rooted in the feminist movement of the 1980s, Mor ?at? has consistently championed women's rights and empowerment through solidarity and innovative approaches. During our CSO Governance Community of Practice – Consultation for Governing Body workshop, Mor ?at? shared an interesting organisational model that Mor ?at? employs, exploring how their horizontal structure and collective decision-making processes have contributed to their success. This approach not only fosters inclusivity and shared responsibility but also serves as a powerful tool in their ongoing fight against gender-based violence. By interviewing Tu??e Canbolat, a dedicated volunteer from Mor ?at?, we wanted to explore the model in greater detail and uncover valuable lessons and strategies that can be applied to enhance governance practices within other CSOs in the region.

• What is the primary mission of Mor ?at?, and what motivated its founders to establish the organisation in 1990? How has the feminist movement in Türkiye influenced and shaped this mission over the years?

The history of the Mor ?at? Women's Shelter Foundation, established in 1990, dates back to the early 1980s. In the 1980s, feminist women in Türkiye began forming consciousness-raising groups. In 1987, the "Solidarity Campaign Against Beating" was launched after a judge in ?ank?r? stated, "One should not deprive a woman of beating from her back or a staff from her belly," rejecting a woman's request for divorce. Experiences and testimonies gathered during the campaign highlighted the importance of solidarity networks for women experiencing violence, leading to the establishment of the Mor ?at? Women's Shelter Foundation in 1990 as the first legal entity of the feminist movement in Türkiye.

The Mor ?at? Women’s Shelter Foundation was established by feminists in order to combat violence against women. Mor ?at? strives for women to be able to lead free and independent lives, targeting the patriarchy through campaigns and actions in collaboration with national and international women’s organisations. Since its establishment, Mor ?at?, which has been involved in feminist struggles and campaigns, transfers the knowledge and experience it has gained through solidarity with women to the feminist movement. Actions and campaigns are carried out together. Legal and institutional mechanisms developed against violence in Türkiye are achievements obtained through feminist struggle.

• How does Mor ?at?'s horizontal organisational model function in practice, and what are the benefits and challenges of this non-hierarchical structure?

Mor ?at? officially defines itself as a feminist organisation working in the field of violence against women, despite being formally established as a foundation. The Mor ?at? Collective is responsible for fulfilling legal obligations, making decisions regarding the foundation's operations, and forming and implementing policies. The Collective consists of volunteer Mor ?at? women who willingly undertake these responsibilities and dedicate their time.

Mor ?at? volunteers not only gain knowledge and experience in combating violence against women but also contribute their own expertise. Feminist principles guide decision-making processes, ensuring solidarity with women. Decisions are made collectively through lengthy meetings, aiming to avoid hierarchy and promoting rotation to equalise knowledge and experience. The work is carried out on a voluntary basis, allowing volunteers to operate within self-defined boundaries.

• What are the key elements of Mor ?at?'s collective decision-making process, and how does this approach impact the organisation's efficiency and inclusivity?

The Mor ?at? Collective makes decisions regarding the daily operations of the foundation, as well as the methods, principles, and policies to be followed in accordance with feminist approaches and principles. These decisions are also approved by the Board of Directors.

The Mor ?at? Collective consists of active volunteers who wish to be involved in Mor ?at?'s policy processes and take responsibility for the foundation's operations, ensuring that each volunteer included in the Collective has an equal right to voice their opinions and participate in discussions and decision-making processes. Collective meetings are held regularly every week where decisions are made as a group.

We value everyone expressing their opinions and strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone participates in discussions. Instead of relying on a majority vote, we aim to reach decisions that everyone can accept through discussions and mutual persuasion.

We are open to criticism and committed to working collectively and individually to improve ourselves based on these criticisms.

While reaching a consensus is not always easy and often requires lengthy discussions, our priority is to engage in informative and productive debates where we can share experiences with each other. While quick decision-making may be difficult and hindered by the need for reflective discussions, in urgent situations requiring prompt decisions, we quickly organise additional meetings to find common ground if a consensus cannot be reached through correspondence.

• How does Mor ?at? manage to maintain its inclusive and participatory approach despite the potential challenges of consensus-building and rotating roles?

The work against male violence at Mor ?at? is based on feminist methods. Male violence is understood to be rooted in existing inequalities between men and women in society, which must be dismantled by fostering women’s solidarity. As women are being offered support, no decisions are made on their behalf, nor are they pressured into making decisions. They are supported without judgment no matter what they may decide.

Decisions at Mor ?at? are reached through a collective process.

• There are no hierarchical mechanisms – which involve an effort to prevent our differences from producing hierarchies.
• Roles and responsibilities are rotated in order to prevent knowledge from concentrating in the hands of certain individuals.
• The work rests on a voluntary basis, where volunteers are expected to carry out their responsibilities within their own self-determined boundaries.
• The process is just as important as the end goal itself in making and implementing decisions. We do not take a vote but rather seek to reach a consensus through debate and discussion.

Since Mor ?at? is a feminist organisation, it is open to all women who want to engage in feminist activism against male violence. All women interested in joining Mor ?at? can become active volunteers according to their own means after participating in volunteer workshops. All volunteers are encouraged to engage in voluntary activities based on their skills and interests. They are motivated to join Mor ?at? through both knowledge transfer and participation to gain more experience and knowledge. The aim is to equalise knowledge and experience by having less experienced individuals accompany more experienced ones in their tasks. Through such methods, we strive to create a space where experiences are levelled and rotation in tasks becomes possible.

• What measures have Mor ?at? implemented to ensure its sustainability and the continuous alignment of its volunteers with the organisation's values and goals?

Mor ?at? derives its strength from its volunteers. Becoming a Mor ?at? volunteer involves a lengthy process of knowledge transfer. We regularly organise workshops and meetings with those interested in becoming Mor ?at? volunteers to discuss feminism, Mor ?at?'s operations and political stance, and our strategies for combating male violence.

Engaging in these activities requires significant dedication and time from both potential volunteers and ourselves. However, these methods of knowledge transfer enable incoming volunteers to understand us better and allow us to better understand our volunteers.

Despite being demanding on occasion, ensuring everyone has equal access to information holds a significant place in our horizontal organisational structure, enabling more women to actively participate as Mor ?at? volunteers. As a feminist organisation with limited economic resources, Mor ?at? owes much of its existence to the substantial contributions of its volunteers.

• How does Mor ?at? ensure that its support for women experiencing violence is rooted in feminist methods, and what principles guide this support?

Our volunteers in direct contact with women subjected to violence must put aside their own value systems and beliefs during these interactions. What is of the essence in these meetings is that applicants have suffered violence. At Mor ?at?, nobody believes that any woman has somehow provoked or deserves violence. The aim is to call into question the set of social prejudices and value system propping up violence against women itself.

?Another point to keep in mind after this initial step is to not interfere with decisions women make about their own lives, no matter what these may be. As long as a woman knows the options she has for responding to violence, even if she decides to return to an abusive relationship or environment, this time, she will be able to resist violence, for she is no longer the same woman. We know that women are subjected to male violence not because they are victims or helpless but simply because they are women. Therefore, what is important here is how far she has come in her personal empowerment.

• What are some of the major challenges faced by feminist and women's organisations in Türkiye, and what motivates you and others within Mor ?at? to continue your efforts despite these obstacles?

At Mor ?at?, the work against male violence is grounded in feminist principles, aiming for women to be able to build lives unhindered by gender-based discrimination and male violence under free and equal conditions. Male violence is understood to be rooted in existing inequalities between men and women, which must be dismantled by fostering women’s solidarity. For this reason, the social work in our solidarity centre and shelter is geared towards empowering women.

In addition to engaging in one-to-one solidarity with women, we monitor and report on the implementation of national and international conventions, laws, and regulations, as well as making policy recommendations to decision-makers in order to eradicate violence and achieve gender equality. We hold workshops with women’s organisations, civil society organisations (NGOs), bar associations and municipalities active in combating violence in order to share our information and experiences in the field.

The insights shared by Mor ?at? not only highlight the effectiveness of their horizontal organisational model and collective decision-making processes but also offer valuable lessons for other CSOs in the region. By embracing feminist principles and fostering an inclusive and participatory approach, Mor ?at? continues to make significant strides in combating gender-based violence and promoting women's rights. Their dedication and innovative strategies serve as an inspiration for other organisations striving to create positive social change through effective governance. While not all organisations would want to replicate this unique approach, Mor Cati vividly demonstrates what it means to align deeply held values with organisational practice.