MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – Dicle Amed Women’s Platform (DAKAP), consisting of women activists from trade unions, political parties, and women's organizations, has begun its preparations to mark International Women’s Day, March 8. The platform will initiate its activities by organizing a march starting at the Dağkapı Square of Amed (Diyarbakır) and the march will end in the Ofis area. The members of the platform will participate in the protest of the relatives of the disappeared and distribute leaflets for its demonstration to be held in Amed on March 8.

“March 8 was inherited from resisting women”

Hanife Kardaş, a member of the organizing committee, stated that March 8 was inherited from resisting women. Emphasized that both Kurdish women and women all around the world, who are subjected to oppression and attacks, continue to resist by following the inheritance of women’s resistance, Hanife Kardaş said that the activities for IWD have been prepared with this spirit of resisting women.

“Women's struggle cannot be intimidated”

Stating that the best way for struggling against the system and male state mentality is to organize, Hanife Kardaş said that they will organize their activities for this year’s IWD to draw attention to femicides, victims of violence, and the women whose labor is invisible. Underlining that women in Turkey are under attack and oppression in every part of life, she said, “The current system tries to intimidate women by closing down women’s organizations. They (the government) see detention or arrests as a solution. But we are not afraid of them. Women’s struggle cannot be stopped by putting women in jail. Women's struggle cannot be intimidated.”

“We respond to the attacks by taking to the streets”

Stating that women respond to the attacks and intimidation policy of the system by taking to the streets, Hanife Kardaş underlined that women in Turkey are forced to be ‘reasonable women' at home, work, school, and in public spaces. “Today, women take to the streets to demand only their own rights. They don't beg anything from anyone. Women resist inequality. The system understands the role and practice of women very well. That’s why they constantly attack women and women's organizations. They try to intimidate women in this way. They also know very well that women will not be discouraged by attacks and will continue to struggle in every part of life.”

DAKAP will organize a march at the Dağkapı Square on March 1 and the march will end in the Ofis area.