The first female mayor of Safranbolu (a district of Karabük in the Black Sea region of Turkey) Elif Köse, has carried out numerous projects over the course of two years, with the motto that women’s place is not in the house, but in the public space. In this interview, Elif Köse, discusses the impact of having a ‘female mayor’ on local administration.
Safranbolu elected its first female president in 2019. For two years, she has worked on a variety of projects, with the motto that women’s place is not in the house, but in the public space.
Köse signed a “Emergency Helpline” cooperation protocol with Turkey’s Federation of Women’s Associations to combat violence against women and provides psychological and legal help for women who come to the Ladies’ House, local women’s meeting point, built by the municipality recently. She has adopted an inclusive approach Many where all components of the city have a say in the decision-making.
Köse discussed the impact of having a ‘female mayor’ on local administration with Yaren Çolak from Birgün Newspaper.
What impact did having a female mayor have on the city?
We have been preparing projects that prioritize women, put them to the forefront, and create space for them since I took office as mayor of Safranbolu. Many women, young people, and children have gained hope as a result of my appointment. Safranbolu is a staunchly conservative town. For this city, having a female mayor from CHP was a significant change.
What did you do to combat the epidemic’s rising levels of psychological and physical violence?
First and foremost, we established a nursery. We built a playhouse within a new structure. It is not necessary for mothers to work in order to leave their children at the playhouse. We do everything we can as a municipality to make time and space for women. With this concept, we opened up the Ladies’ House on March 8. A meeting point for women to address their needs, drink tea, and chat. The house offers variety of activities, women do things like read books and solve puzzles. Our dieticians, psychiatrists, and lawyers also offer free therapy for the visitors.
This Ladies’ House, which we established during the pandemic, drew a lot of attention and proved to be extremely valuable during a time when violence against women was rampant.
With the Producer Women’s Market, what did you hope to achieve?
We’ve set up a space where women without a shop or a stall can sell their wares at local markets. In other words, we lend women a hand who couldn’t find a suitable location to sell their goods. We began to purchase numerous products from these women as a municipality. Our goal is to provide women with economic independence.
You have an administrative strategy that incorporates all aspects of the city. It’s for this reason that you have a Children’s Assembly. What is the purpose of this Assembly?
As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined. There are many other challenges, such as environmental pollution and the climate crisis. We, as adults, have wreaked havoc on the environment. As a result, we’ve chosen youngsters and teenagers as our target demographic. We aim to make a city that is child-friendly. In the assembly, children make decisions and then they are enacted.
The city had a major transportation issue before you were elected. How did you come up with a solution?
Transportation was a major issue in this town. There was an outdated transit system that disabled and elderly people struggled to use. For a long period, transportation was in the hands of the Minibus Cooperative, which had won the tender. We advised them to replace their vehicles.
They did not accept. ‘If you don’t do it, we’ll do it,’ we said when we entered the tender. Public transportation, like waste and paving, is a municipality’s primary responsibility. The municipality is responsible for getting its inhabitants where they want to go in comfort and safety. We couldn’t allow our folks to be confined to old, unsafe vehicles.
The municipality had to make a difficult and time-consuming decision. However, I am pleased with my choice. According to our poll, 90% of Safranbolu people are happy with the current situation.
Source: Birgün