ZEYNEP PEHLİVAN

İzmir- Recently, the “2021 Presidential Annual Program” was published in the Official Gazette and the program has caused many discussions.  One of the projects in the program is the establishment of all-female universities.

Women launched an online campaign called, “We don’t want all-female universities”. Women called on women to take the streets in order to show their reactions to the project.

“These universities will be imposed on women”

Women managed to bring this issue on social media and they began to organize protests against all-female universities. Yeni Demokrat Gençlik (New Democratic Youth) member Zilan Tayboğa said that the project tried to destroy the visibility of women in the academic field. “Women wanting to study at university to do something for their lives will have to study at these universities because these universities will be imposed on them. In other words, women will not have their rights to get an equal education; they will not reveal their own identity. Religious vocational schools were optional at first; but then it changed. Now, they try to do the same thing by establishing all-female universities; but we don’t accept this.”

“This means you can't compete with the male mind”

Gül Gökboğa, a member of the Özgür Genç Kadın (Free Young Women), stated that it is a project to bring women into existence only in certain areas that the ruling party wants and can control.

“We can come together to talk to each other. But this education system is unacceptable. The idea of establishing universities specifically for women says women and men are not equal in mind; you cannot study in the same universities. The existence of such a university in Japan does not indicate that it is acceptable or applicable. The project will further deepen the already existing gender inequality in society. We can mention many other reasons to react to.”

“We must stand by the struggle altogether”

Kampüs Cadıları (the Campus Witches) member Dilek İpek also talked to our news agency and she emphasized that the current education system and universities are trying to shape the existing generation. Dilek stated that the all-female universities project is a project of the ruling party’s idea of "educating qualified mothers.” “I don't think women can find a free space in planned universities. Before a pink buses project was tried to be carried out for women. This project is actually a kind of pink university project. This is not positive discrimination, but a project to eliminate women from the public sphere. What we should do is to stand by the struggle altogether just we did for the Istanbul Convention.”

“The mindset should be changed to end harassment”

Mor Dayanışma (Purple Association for Women's Solidarity) member Büşra Yeşilbaş underlined that the ruling party tries to put women in an acceptable role by preparing such projects. She said, “They think they can protect women by keeping them in houses or in certain roles. This is a project created by the male mentality. They think they can protect women by putting men and women in different places. The mindset should be changed to end harassment and rape. We will keep struggle to prevent the establishment of all-female universities. We call on all women to take streets.”