While counting the days for 2023, we wanted to take a look at the unforgettable moments for gender equality and women’s rights in the world, and listed some of the women that gave us inspiration.
1- The resistance of the women’s movement in Turkey
Although the attacks on women’s rights were very dominant, 2022 was a year in which women in Turkey did not surrender to male domination, always remained determined in the fight for rights, and raised their voices for equality, justice and peace. Again, women were the locomotive of the struggle for preventing violence against women, protecting the right to alimony, freedom of association, political representation and equality. The feminist movement in Turkey also faced numerous legal battles like the demanding the cancellation of the President’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention.
2- The women’s revolution in Iran
Women are at the forefront of the demonstrations that broke out and spread across Iran, following the death of Mahsa Amini on the 16th of September after she was detained by the “morality police” for allegedly not obeying the dress code. What started as a revolt against the headscarf requirement turned into anti-regime protests across the country. In fact, this is a ‘women’s revolution’ for many.
Cutting hair has become one of the symbols of the movement that has spread to celebrities, politicians and campaigners around the world. Women from many parts of the world also supported this movement. Thousands of women shared videos of cutting their hair on social media and on the streets. After the initial protests, the law enforcement forces of the regime increased their pressure, the demonstrators were fired upon; death sentences were issued. The sentences were executed one after another, the activists were arrested. But all this has inflamed the women’s struggle rather than extinguishing it. Experts state that there is a mobilisation on the street that struggles with the masculine system and tries to transform it altogether, rather than negotiating with it.
3- Solidarity and struggle yielded results: Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk was released from prison
Former HDP deputy Aysel Tuğluk, who has been in prison since 2016 and whose health condition deteriorated day by day during this period, was released from Kandıra Prison in the last days of the year. She was not freed for a long time by the authorities, even though she was given a report from the Forensic Medicine Institute as “he cannot stay in prison.”
The struggle of women’s organizations, journalists and politicians, who did not forget Tugluk for a day, was instrumental in her liberation. 1000 women from all walks of life and struggle started the ‘1000 Women for Freedom for Aysel Tuğluk’ campaign for her release and called everyone to speak up for Tuğluk and the sick prisoners. The petition was translated into 8 languages and received support from 54 countries. More than 5,000 people signed the petition, including academic Silvia Federici and author and activist Angela Davis.
4- Important steps were taken for women’s reproductive health and sexual rights
The US Supreme Court in a controversial decision canceled women’s constitutional right to abortion and gave states the power to determine a woman’s reproductive and sexual rights. In 50 states, women took to the streets shouting that they would not give up their vested rights. They applied for legal action. Although there has been a serious decline in the field of reproductive and sexual health in the USA, there have been positive developments in the rest of the world. In Spain, the draft law that defines all sexual intercourse without the consent of women as rape has been approved. In addition, the coalition government led by the Socialist Workers Party approved a bill that allows people over the age of 16 to have an abortion without parental or guardian consent and provided three days of menstrual leave per month.
In France, the bill that guarantees the right to abortion constitutionally was passed in the Parliament. In order for the bill to be included in the constitution, it must be approved by the Senate and put to a popular vote by referendum. The increasing strength of the women’s movement in Latin America in recent years brought concrete changes. After Argentina and Mexico, abortion in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy has been decriminalized in Colombia. Scotland became the first country to provide free access to menstrual products. The taboos about menopause finally started to break down because flexible working practice was introduced for menopausal women in England. In Sierra Leone, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, the bill that will decriminalize abortion has been approved.
5-LGBTI+ struggle and advances
In many parts of the world, there have been important developments in the field of LGBTI rights. In Mexico, same-sex marriage has become legal across the country, with the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas finally ratifying marriage equality. In Cuba, a comprehensive “family law” law, which includes the article allowing same-sex couples to marry, was passed in a referendum. In the USA, the “Respect for Marriage” law, which puts same-sex marriage under federal protection, was signed. In Slovenia, the bill allowing same-sex marriage and same-sex couple adoption has been passed. Thus, Slovenia became the first Eastern European country to legalize same-sex marriage. Israel has decided to ban the practice of “homosexual conversion therapy”. Spain approved the law allowing to change legal gender by declaration. In Scotland, the same law was passed by Parliament and will enter into force in 2023. The Flemish Catholic Church in Belgium decided to bless LGBTI+ couples. In Singapore, homosexual intercourse has been decriminalized.
In Turkey, as a united voice against the “Great Family Gathering” rally targeting LGBTI+ a counter mobilisation took place under the title #notohaterally. Political party members, artists, representatives of democratic mass organizations and citizens reacted to the rally, which directly targeted LGBTI+. Not only LGBTI+ citizens but their families were also the target of hate speech. In a meeting he attended in Malatya, President Erdoğan said, “Is there such a thing as LGBT in a strong family?”
6- Women artists broaden solidarity in Turkey
Reaching wide audiences with her music for many years, Gülşen has continued to inspire all women by standing up to the discourses produced by a male-dominated understanding. In the process that started with her being targeted because of her stage dresses, Gülşen raised her voice against the boundaries drawn for women’s life and the ideal female roles of patriarchy, and used her stage to defend LGBTI+ rights. Gülşen, who was arrested and released due to the statements she made in a speech she made at her concert, is preparing to return to the stage while continuing her legal struggle with the support of the public.
Singer Aleyna Tilki, who has been a victim of online trolling and violence her name, was targeted for reacting to the anti-LGBTI+ march held in Saraçhane, Istanbul, and her concert in Çorum was cancelled.
Melek Mosso, which has been raising her voice against gender inequality and violence against women for years, was targeted by the Anatolian Youth Association Isparta Branch for allegedly “encouraging immorality” and her concert was canceled at the Isparta International Rose Festival.
President Erdoğan targeted singer Sezen Aksu due to the lyrics of her song “Living is Something Wonderful” which was launched in 2017. Public support poured into Aksu after Erdogan’s statement which proposed that “it is our duty to cut tongues when appropriate”. After the attack, 217 artists published a call for solidarity.
7- Women leadership rising
Independent candidate Natasa Pirc Musar won the presidential elections in Slovenia. Lawyer and journalist Musar became the country’s first female prime minister.
Xiomara Castro, who won the presidential election in the Central American country of Honduras, was elected the first female president of the country.
India’s 15th president has become 64-year-old former teacher Draupadi Murmu, the candidate of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Thus, for the first time in India, a tribal member was appointed to the presidency.
Peru’s first female president, Dina Boluarte, took office after Pedro Castillo was impeached just hours after his attempt to dissolve parliament.
In the general elections in Italy, Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Italy’s far-right party Brothers of Italy, became the country’s first female prime minister.
The candidate of the conservative alliance, former Minister of Family Katalin Novak, won the title of the first female president of Hungary.
Although these two seem to be important turning points, their ideological views do not paint a bright picture for women and LGBTI+ rights.
In addition to the presidency and prime ministership, women in many countries have come to senior positions in politics. Anthony Albanese, the leader of the Labor Party, who won the elections held on May 21 in Australia, formed the cabinet with the most women in the country’s history. There are 10 women ministers in the 23-member cabinet. For the first time in New Zealand history, the number of female MPs reached the majority. New Zealand was among the 6 countries with at least 50 percent female representation in its parliament this year.
8- Women candidates marked the bar elections
In the cities of Ağrı, Ankara, Ankara Parallel, Balikesir, Bitlis, Bolu, Canakkale, Edirne, Elazig, Igdir, Istanbul, Izmir, Kirikkale, Kilis, Kocaeli, Konya, Kütahya, Mugla, Osmaniye, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Tekirdag, Tokat, Tunceli and Van new bar elections took place. The number of female bar association presidents, which was 9 in the previous elections, increased to 13 with these elections.
According to Filiz Saraç, who was elected as the first female bar president in Istanbul Bar Association in 144 years, although the increase in the number of female bar presidents is an important development, it is not enough.
9- Afgan women resisting the Taliban
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year, women have been progressively deprived of many rights: they were fired, denied access to public spaces and parks, denied access to middle and high schools, forced to wear burqas, and faced travel restrictions. Yet, the women of Afghanistan do not remain silent even when their lives are taken away from them.
10- Women leading environmental protests
This year, there have been very important developments in terms of environment and ecology struggles in Turkey. This year, too, women were at the forefront of the struggle for the right to environment, which is being waged against the ever-increasing destruction of nature in our country and in the world. The resistance against Cengiz Holding’s quarry attempt and destruction in İkizdere still continues. The struggle of İkizköy for the Akbelen Forest continues in the same way. The watch of the people of İkizköy, which exceeded 500 days, never stopped. The struggle of the local people against the construction of Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) in Amasya Çambükü, the plan to build a touristic facility in Bodrum Cennet Bay, the quarry to be established for the port project in Rize never stopped.
Struggling to prevent the construction of green areas in the Kemerköy Site of Göktürk in Istanbul, Göktürk Stay Green initiative, has been resisting since October 31st to protect its green areas. The decision for the Halilağa Copper Mine, which Cengiz Holding wanted to open in the Kaz Mountains, was canceled thanks to the resistance.
11- Providing hope for the future: Women in science
Women scientists lead groundbreaking research around the world, but despite their remarkable discoveries, women still represent only 29 percent of researchers globally, and their work rarely gets the recognition it deserves.
Koç University Chemistry and Biological Engineering Department Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Seda Keskin Avcı was included in the list of “The World’s 20 Most Distinguished Women of Science.”
University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty member astrobiologist Prof. Dr. Betül Kaçar was deemed worthy of the “2022 Rosalind Franklin Medal” award for her scientific studies on ancient genes.
An astrophysicist at NASA, Dr. Jane Rigby works on the evolution of galaxies. She was part of the international team that launched the world’s largest space telescope, the James Webb telescope into space. In July came the most detailed infrared images of the universe ever taken from Webb.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska became the second woman in history to win the prestigious Fields Medal, which is awarded every four years and is often described as the Nobel Prize in mathematics.
The list goes on.
12- Women were also on the streets for the rights of children
Women were also on the streets for the rights of children. While children were starving due to increasing poverty, the “1 Meal Free, Healthy Food Campaign in Schools” started in May, which was started by Kocaeli Bread and Rose Association, and then spread all over the country. The Ministry of National Education announced that as of February 6, free meals will begin in all schools in pre-school education.
13- French writer Annie Ernaux wins the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature
French writer Annie Ernaux won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature. In the statement made by the committee, the reason for awarding the award was explained as “It reveals the roots, alienation and collective limitations of personal memory with courage and objective sharpness”.
14- The struggle of women workers
The year 2022 was a year of intense workers’ struggles. While the workers were carrying out actual strikes for the right to union, collective bargaining, and humane work, from hosiery workers to metal workers, the front lines of the struggle were full of women: Farplas, ETF Tekstil, Asen Aluminum, Acarsoy Tekstil… Women led the resistance despite many obstacles. In addition to low wages, workers are also standing up against mobbing and union hostility.
There are additional reasons why women take action. Women receive lower wages, less raises, and women’s earnings are seen by the administrators as an additional income for the family. Pregnant and menstruating women are forced to work at a high pace and there are no nurseries in their workplaces. Although women have more reasons to resist, they manage to overcome many obstacles before taking action, as the pressure is also heavier
15- Advancements in sports
In the women’s singles final at the Australian Open, Ash Barty became the first female host to win the Australian Open, 44 years after Christine O’Neil, with the championship she won in her country. Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur made history as the first African and Arab tennis player to win the WTA 1000 tournament and reach the highest ranking.
National gymnasts Sena Elçin Karakaş and Sıla Karakuş won Turkey’s first gold medal at the Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Ultra marathon swimmer Bengisu Avcı became the first female swimmer from Turkey to cross the Catalina Channel. Turkey won its first victory by defeating Czechia 7-5 at the Women’s World Championship, which it participated in Curling for the first time in its history. National athlete ilke Özyüksel acquired a bronze medal at the World Modern Pentathlon Championship held in Egypt, and for the first time a Turkish athlete took the podium in the senior category. The first all-female referee team in the history of the World Cup, Stephanie Frappart, Neuza Back, Karen Diaz, managed the Costa Rica – Germany match.
Gymnast Ayşe Begüm Onbaşı came second in the world with 20,350 points she achieved in the final at the Aerobic Gymnastics World Championship. Annemiek van Vleuten went down in history as the champion of the first edition of the Women’s Tour de France by winning the 8th and final stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2022. National athlete Buse Naz Çakıroğlu won the gold medal by defeating her rival Caitlin Fryers in the 50 kg final of the European Women’s Boxing Championship. The list goes on.