ZEYNEP AKGÜL

Ankara- The Feminist Memory Project has now a feministbellek.org website, a digital dictionary to explain the concepts that come to the fore in the feminist literature and to reflect the memory of the feminist struggle. We spoke to Yasemin Özgün and Hülya Kendir, two of the directors of the project, about the purpose of the project, how they evaluate the texts published on the website and the importance of the correct use of concepts in feminist struggle.

·         How was the Feminist Memory Project built? Who works on the project? Could you inform us about the project?

The idea of the project was first discussed by a feminist group called YüzdeÇoğuz, which was formed during the Presidential Election in 2018. Then, as the team of the memory project, we entered a more intense work process and we decided to build this website.

·         What are the aims of the project?

We wanted to create a memory that includes some important experiences such as, ‘March Against Beating’, and the ‘Purple Needle Campaign’ which caused a breaking point in the history of feminism in Turkey, as well as concepts and topics such as “patriarchy”, “the personal is political” and “domestic” labor which feminists have discussed for many years and concepts and topics that are new or have started to be discussed again today. If we think of our feminist memory as a huge network extending from the past to the present, these headings can be considered as milestones that strengthen the network. The concept/articles index in Feminist Memory is actually comprised of concepts and debates produced by feminist theory and politics in the world and in Turkey. We try to bring these experiences together. We continue to add new headings to this index.

“The Feminist Memory is not a stationary experience but a living experience that constantly develops”

·         Is the aim of this project to build an international feminist network struggling against the reasons of gender-based violence?

Feminist movements in Turkey and all around the world have spent the last years to take their usurped rights back or to demand their rights and protect them instead of building their freedom and dreams. When we struggled against attacks on the Istanbul convention, Argentine and Polish women resisted their abortion rights. Nowadays, women's organizations and feminists all over the world have spoken out against Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. Therefore, we do not think that the feminist movement in Turkey and the struggle of women and LGBTI + are disconnected from the women and LGBTI + movements in the world. The Feminist Memory is a digital platform based on feminist politics to bring fundamental concepts of feminism and gender and the fundamental discussions of the feminist struggle in Turkey together with a feminist perspective.

·         I think the digital platform opens to every woman. I mean women can write about a concept and send it to you. Could you tell us about the process?

We chose the first 100 articles written by academics for peace, who were dismissed by a decree issued under the state of emergency and worked on gender and feminism. We tried to choose the writers who could write with a feminist perspective. After we built the website, it drew attention and some people contacted us demanding to write articles for the website. This made us very happy.

Thereupon, we prepared a mini guidance text for those who want to send articles.

 “Feminism and women's movements inspire and empower us”

·         Our last question; what would you like to say about the future of the women's movement and organized feminism in Turkey?

Feminist movements in Turkey and all around the world have spent the last years to take their usurped rights back or to demand their rights and protect them instead of building their freedom and dreams. Feminism and women's movements are active movements that continue to take the street even under the most unfavorable conditions, including the conditions of the pandemic. Undoubtedly, the attacks against the achievements of the feminist movement and the women's movement are not special in Turkey. Abortion bans, the #Metoo movement, feminist strikes, protests against femicide, and violence against women in many parts of the world, particularly in Spain, Portugal, and Argentina continue almost simultaneously all over the world, including Turkey. This political climate and the active feminist and women's movements inspire and empower us as the Feminist Memory team.