Açelya graduated from the Department of Sociology at Ege University in 2008. She completed her master’s degree at the Department of General Sociology and Methodology at Ege University in 2011 with a dissertation on women’s shelters and perception of stigmatisation for women staying at shelters. Following her postgraduate studies, her interest in combatting violence against women, feminist social work and social policies in Turkey led to her to cross paths with the Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation. Since 2011, she has been working as a Mor Çatı volunteer in combatting violence against women and she is currently a Programme Coordinator. Since then, Açelya has also conducted studies on gender equality, children’s rights and refugee rights at various civil society organisations.