The President of KA.DER, a women’s organization in Turkey that supports the equal representation of both women and men in all areas, thinks that the timeline of women who struggle to elect and be elected for a more equal world has been very long but remains hopeful for the future: “We see the light at the end of the tunnel. We want half of the seats in the parliament.”
The 15th General Assembly of the Association for Support of Women Candidates (KA.DER) was held last week.
KA.DER is a women’s organization that supports the equal representation of both women and men in all areas. It recognizes the equality of men and women as a requirement for democracy in decision-making bodies which make decisions affecting society and individuals and include selection and appointment.
The General Assembly, in which the new members of the bodies were determined, was held with the participation of representatives of political parties, NGOs, and members from all branches and representatives of the association.
Nuray Karaoğlu, the president of KA.DER, said, “Even though we have a long way to go, what we have accomplished so far gives us hope. Women constitute the 50.7% of Turkey’s demographic population. We can make a change.”
“We defend the right to vote and to be elected for a more equal world”
Nuray Karaoğlu explained the vision of KA.DER, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, as follows:
“Inspired by the power of women’s solidarity, our association celebrated its 25th on March 4, 2022. When you have a long history, your accumulate memories and your efforts take you on a journey. In order to realize a dream, it is necessary to believe first and then work. Just like our founding members and all subsequent administrations did under the leadership of Şirin Tekeli 25 years ago.
“Our achievements give us hope”
Pointing out that the decision to exit the Istanbul Convention should be reviewed, Karaoğlu said:
“In this sense, in this period when the vested rights of women are targeted and violence against women continues to increase. The presidential decision to exit from the Istanbul Convention, which is the most comprehensive international agreement on combating violence against women and of which Turkey is the first signatory, needs to be re-evaluated in this sense.”
Karaoğlu said that that the timeline of women who struggle to elect and be elected for a more equal world has been very long but she remains hopeful for the future: “We see the light at the end of the tunnel. We know where we are and what we want to do. Inequality should not be the fate of future generations.”
“Let’s not forget that what we achieve through struggle today will be what we leave for our daughters tomorrow. Even in the most advanced democracies, the ones who are white and male have the power. Until this changes, we will continue to paint all streets purple, and although we still have a long way to go, what we have accomplished so far gives us hope. Women constitute 50.7% of the country’s electorate.”
“We want half the seats”
“While celebrating our 25th anniversary on March 4, we cried our slogan slogan ‘We want half of those seats. Over the past year, we have produced many campaigns and projects for the equal representation of women in all fields. In this process, we took our faith and determination to struggle from the precious memory of the women who led us and the rightful resistance of women.”