NATO Summit Highlights Women's Leadership, Child Safety Focus

The 2026 NATO summit in Ankara focused on defense, deterrence and regional security, but this year it also offered an unprecedented forum for discussions on women, families and societal resilience, which reflects the alliance's growing grasp of security.

In parallel with the leaders' meetings, a range of parallel events tackled various issues, such as child safety in the digital era, the role of women in crisis response and post-disaster recovery and peace building, and showed how the leadership and challenges of allied nations are not confined to the battlefield.

The summit program included a roundtable of the spouses of heads of state and government titled "Children, Technology and Security: Protecting the Next Generation," which first lady Emine Erdoğan hosted on Wednesday at the historic Çankaya Mansion. The meeting convened the first spouses of the NATO allied and partner countries to talk about one of the fastest-growing security challenges in the digital era: Online child protection.

Digital transformation has opened unprecedented opportunities, but has also exposed children to new risks which demand collective action by the international community, Erdoğan said.

She highlighted that even in the first minutes of her address, dozens of children were already in the online world and this freedom comes with risks of exposure to harmful content, manipulation and data tracking.

She said that algorithms based on the attention economy now influence children's thoughts and feelings, and noted that for many young people, AI is becoming a trusted friend.

Erdoğan called for the taking of the "right to child safety to be the first principle in digital platforms' design, and the need to have independent oversight of platforms' societal impact through the algorithms.

Key Highlights:

• NATO prioritizes women, children, and resilience
• Emine Erdoğan urges stronger child online safety measures
• KADEM highlights women's role in crisis recovery

Highlighting the importance of governments not sitting on their hands during this historic technological shift, Erdoğan stated that Türkiye had put in place regulations restricting social media use for minors under 15 years of age, and had mandated social media providers to do age verification and parental control systems.

She also pointed out that the Digital World Children's Rights Convention initiative of Türkiye was an effort to bring child protection to the international level.

Erdoğan also made it clear that the problem isn't just with harmful content, but that children's attention, curiosity and time is now a product of the digital economy.

She expressed concern about the ability of a few technology firms to shape the views and experience of billions of children, likening this to "techno-colonialism.

She urged all nations to act collectively to improve the safety of children in online environments, noting that it should be a key factor in the design of digital platforms, and that algorithms should be more transparent and technology firms be subject to independent oversight.

Children can't be separated from technology, but the focus has to be on how technology can support children's dignity, safety and healthy development, Erdoğan said.

The meeting was both diplomatic and hospitable to the Turks. The discussions were held at an elegant venue, which set the tone for the event, and many of the first ladies were dressed in pastel and neutral colors, creating a sense of unity and understated elegance that aligned with the theme of the event.

Women's focus at the summit was also continued with the "Allies in Ankara" program organized by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, who also organized the program in coordination with the Munich Security Conference and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).

The Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) organized a panel entitled "Women at the Frontline of Societal Resilience: Civil Society, Recovery and Human Security in Times of Crisis", where international organizations, academia, public institutions and civil society organizations came together to discuss women's role in strengthening societies during crisis.

KADEM Chairperson Canan Sarı opened the session with a statement that today's concept of security is far more than interstate conflict and covers the issues such as migration, natural disaster, pandemic, economic vulnerabilities, climate change. She said societies are being judged not just on their military readiness but also as to how well they can cope with, and bounce back from, a crisis.

Reconstruction after disasters includes a lot more than making physical structures again, said Sarı. Women are the ones who take on vital but seemingly unheralded responsibilities in restoring daily living, maintaining children's education, helping elderly and handicapped family members, and rebuilding community solidarity, said Dr. Juanita.

Sarı emphasized KADEM's activities in the last 13 years and how it presently has a volunteer base in 58 provinces, carrying out projects in education and advocacy, academic research and international cooperation. Among KADEM's flagship programs is its Women's Support Centers which offer psychosocial support and counseling, especially after the Feb. 6 earthquakes, she noted.

The panel also included Aslıhan Nişancı, Professor of Marmara University, who presented Women's Support Centers as an all-encompassing case management model that meets the needs of women, whose research has proven to be a valuable asset in the field of women empowerment and quality of life.

UNFPA Türkiye Representative Mariam A. Khan emphasized women's right to health care, rights and economic opportunities as a pillar of resilience of the society especially during humanitarian crises.

The focus of discussions was on increased cooperation between countries to strengthen women's leadership in crisis management and disaster recovery and human security, followed by a roundtable.