The first of the women’s forums organised by the Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK) aims to raise its demands ahead of the elections by bringing together women from all political views, religious beliefs and social segments.
The first of the women’s forums of the Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK), which will be held in 11 cities around Turkey, started in Van. Speaking at the forum, Berrin Sönmez and Lawyer Hülya Gülbahar from the platform stated that their first demand was equality. They also saluted the courage of the women of Iran.
The Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK) organized the first of its forums with the slogan “Equal, free and non-violent life”. Many women, including representatives of women’s institutions and political parties, attended the forum held at the Van Bar Association Tahir Elçi Hall.
EŞİK had previously listed its five general demands in light of the coming elections:
• Stop eroding our equal citizenship rights.
• Stop the rhetoric and initiatives that threaten our rights.
• Implement an emergency action plan for our right to live a non-violent life at home, at work, on the street and in all social life.
• Make education egalitarian, non-discriminatory, scientific, secular and free.
• Implement effective policies for equal employment.
Speaking to Şehriban Abi from Serhat News, Berrin Sönmez reflected on the work of EŞİK. She stated: “What will be the lives and dreams of women in an environment where women are confined to their homes? What problems will women have? We exchanged ideas with women from all over Turkey and from different countries of the world. We held demonstrations with women, we organized demonstrations on social media under the conditions of the pandemic.”
Lawyer Hülya Gülbahar, an EŞİK volunteer, stated that they are trying to organize a meeting of women across Turkey. Gülbahar expressed that she wants women from all political views, religious beliefs and social segments to come together.
Gülbahar said, “Let’s discuss our unique and common problems. Let’s look for solutions together. We would like to commemorate Mahsa Amini who was murdered on the grounds that she did not comply with the headscarf rules. Courage is contagious. We already have that courage inside of us, and we want to ignite that fire together here. We want equality, not on paper, but in every aspect of life. In order to achieve this equality, multi-faceted institutional support is required, from the opening of nurseries in every neighborhood, in every workplace, to the opening of counseling centers where women can be consulted when they are exposed to violence. We don’t want abstract words, we are very tired”.