“Aile Babası”: A mobile game contributing to gender equality

Can Eminoğlu | 05 April 2023

Gender equality refers to the equal enjoyment of rights, responsibilities and opportunities of all people and means that the interests, needs and priorities of all are respected, regardless of their gender. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, recognizes gender equality as a fundamental right for the well-being of all people including those who had to flee their homes.  

Alaa and Ahmed are among the first players of the mobile application “Aile Babası”, developed by UNHCR’s NGO partner Mavi Kalem. The two friends, who fled Syria more than five years ago and now reside in Istanbul with their families, immediately picked up the game rules and now challenge each other online.

“We were curious about the game when they first mentioned it,” Ahmed starts. “We learned how to play the game quickly, and sometimes we play together. We even compete and compare our points at the end of each game to find out who is the better player.”

“Aile Babası”, which can be translated as family man, aims tackle deep-rooted gender stereotypes and pre-determined roles within families. Launched in 2021 with support from donors including EU Humanitarian Aid and the USA, the app is part of UNHCR’s commitment to develop programs that help create a better future for all, including those who fled their homes due to persecution and violence. By highlighting the importance of open dialogue and mutual decision-making, the mobile game promotes gender equality. So far, it has been downloaded close to 3,000 times and is available in Turkish and Arabic.

“It felt like a serious responsibility playing this game at first,” continues Alaa. “I’ve put forward serious effort in it.” He talks about the game with great excitement and explains what it is about: “It is based on a family of two parents and their children. The logic of the game is that the father takes decisions on behalf of the family members either through mutual consultation or single-handedly. The wife and children ask about various matters from finding a job to continuing education. The player gains points if s/he takes a mutual decision by respecting the opinion of the family member. This also decreases the family’s stress level,” he explains. “But if the player takes decisions without consulting or ignores the opinion of the family, the player loses points. In the end, the family can end up in quite a stressful situation”.

Ahmed adds that while playing the game he realized the importance of consultation in real life. “At some point in the game, I thought about my own life and noticed that I was the one who had the final say in most matters,” he highlights. “I feel that taking decisions mutually is quite revealing.”

Similar to Ahmed, Alaa finds the message of the game beneficial. He recalls thinking on his own relationship with his wife after playing the game for some weeks. “The game works as a mirror in a way. I related myself with the father in the game. […] With this experience, I thought not to do the same as we should be equal.”

As Alaa and Ahmed are among the first players, UNHCR’s partner Mavi Kalem touches base with them frequently to analyse the impact of the game. With player feedback, the game is updated with additional features pertaining to family relationships.
The two friends are also active in their community and attend social activities organized by Mavi Kalem, which provide support on topics such as school registration and access to health services.

UNHCR promotes gender equality which is one of the seventeen goals for Sustainable Development, set by the United Nations for a better future. UNHCR-supported programs will continue to help empower displaced women and girls, allowing them to build a safer community for all globally with the support of its donors including EU Humanitarian Aid and the United States.

The mobile game can be downloaded through the barcodes above.