EN.MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – The Central Board of ‘Aisyiyah welcomed an official delegation from the Committee on Equal Opportunity for Women and Men (KEFEK) of the Grand National Assembly of the Replubic of Türkiye (GNAT) at the Muhammadiyah Headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday (2/7).
The meeting formed part of the Turkish parliamentary delegation’s official visit to Indonesia. It took place from June 30 to July 4, 2026.
The strategic visit was facilitated by the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN. Turkish Ambassador to Indonesia, Prof Dr. Talip Küçükcan, also accompanied the delegation during the meeting.
The delegation was led by H.E. Ms. Çiğdem Erdoğan, Chairperson of KEFEK and a member of parliament from the Justice and Development Party. Along with her were eight members of the Turkish Parliament representing various political parties. These include the Justice and Development Party, the Nationalist Movement Party, the Republican People’s Party, and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party. The cross-party composition reflected a shared commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.
During the meeting, the Turkish delegation expressed its enthusiasm for strengthening cooperation with ‘Aisyiyah, particularly in the areas of women’s empowerment and child protection.
Representing the Central Board of ‘Aisyiyah were Masyitoh, Tri Hastuti Nur Rochimah, Atiyatul Ulya, Najmia Amal Yusuf, and Ninik Anisa. Both sides exchanged views on ‘Aisyiyah’s wide-ranging empowerment initiatives in education, healthcare, social welfare, economic development, and the protection of women and children.
Strengthening International Collaboration
Chairperson of the Central Board of ‘Aisyiyah, Masyitoh, welcomed the visit as an important opportunity to expand international partnerships in advancing the welfare of women and children.
“This meeting provides a valuable platform for sharing experiences and best practices in women’s empowerment. ‘Aisyiyah remains open to collaborating with international partners to create broader benefits for women, children, families, and society,” she said.
According to Masyitoh, as an Islamic women’s organization with more than a century of service, ‘Aisyiyah has accumulated extensive experience in developing programs across education, healthcare, economic empowerment, social services, and the protection of women and children. She expressed hope that this experience could serve as a strong foundation for meaningful collaboration with international institutions, including the Turkish Parliament.
The Turkish delegation also expressed strong interest in learning more about ‘Aisyiyah’s long-standing role and contributions as one of Indonesia’s leading Islamic women’s organizations in empowering communities.
As a follow-up to the meeting, the KEFEK delegation formally invited the Central Board of ‘Aisyiyah to pay a return visit to Türkiye. The proposed visit is expected to provide a more comprehensive forum for exploring potential areas of collaboration and developing concrete partnerships between the Turkish Parliament and ‘Aisyiyah, particularly in women’s empowerment, child protection, and community development. (Taufik)
