Arjin Delik Öngel

Amed — Amid increasing challenges faced by women in urban spaces, the “Women’s Cities” project emerges as a strategic initiative aiming to reshape cities based on women’s needs and strengthen their presence in public life.

The “Towards Women’s Cities” conference, organized by the Municipality of Amed (Diyarbakır) on Saturday, November 8, addressed ways to transform cities into more inclusive spaces for women by discussing issues of urban governance, economy, public space, and collective memory.

The conference featured prominent figures, including the co-chair of the DBP party, representatives from the Free Women’s Movement, the Mothers of Peace Association, alongside civil society organizations and women from various fields.

“Women’s memory is a tool for peace, and male-dominated cities do not embrace everyone.”

Participating women discussed ways to enhance women’s freedom in urban spaces, raising fundamental questions: What does freedom mean for women in the city? What structural obstacles hinder their lives? They also explored spaces that can regain meaning through women’s memory and symbolic steps to achieve peace and societal reform by invoking women’s collective memory

The Co-Chair of Sur Municipality in Amed, Fatma Gulan Öngel, emphasized that the “Women’s Cities” project is a priority for their party, based on its political and social vision. She noted that the appointment of trustees over municipalities in 2016, 2019, and 2024 directly targeted women’s gains and the broader social culture. While municipalities had been paralyzed under state trusteeship, with the administration now transferred to the DEM Party, efforts resumed to build cities that consider women’s needs and empower them in public spaces.

She explained that cities built with a male-dominated mindset reflect a vision that marginalizes community specificities and lacks social justice. “Sur Municipality continues to monitor how cities accommodate all community groups, especially women, in free and inclusive spaces,” she said, adding, “These observations laid the foundation for our project, aiming to reshape cities based on women’s memory and needs, freeing them from male dominance in urban planning.”

Fatma Gulan Öngel highlighted that DEM-affiliated municipalities have intensified their efforts to be a voice for women and address their issues: “The co-chair system, based on equal representation, has extended its impact across multiple areas, and the ‘Women’s Cities’ project is one of its most prominent manifestations.” She added that the project aims to strengthen women’s presence as key actors in urban life and establish their role as central to change by building cities that respond to their needs and visibly highlight their presence in public spaces.

She stressed the importance of the “Peace and Democratic Society” initiative launched by Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, noting, “Success in this path requires a foundation of honesty and transparency.” She emphasized the need to remove trustees imposed on municipalities, legally recognize the co-chair system, and ensure equal access to resources, noting that a key condition for democratic construction is returning elected officials to their positions. She further pointed out that women in decision-making positions face systematic targeting, calling for an end to this practice and to attacks on women’s struggle in general.

Fatma Gulan Öngel clarified that the co-chair system faces direct attacks from trustees and represents the principle of “gender freedom”, aiming to end all forms of slavery affecting both men and women.

She affirmed that violence against women is inseparable from state violence, pointing out that this form of violence permeates all levels of life—from family to neighborhood to personal relationships. She noted that three women in the Sur area were threatened with murder on the evening of November 1 by several individuals who said, “We don’t want you in this neighborhood.” She added, “Although Sur is a historic city that embraced multiple civilizations and identities and was built on coexistence principles, what we witness today is a rise in social polarization and the return of rhetoric rejecting women’s presence in public spaces, whether in politics or on the streets, reflecting a deep societal crisis.”

Gulan Öngel concluded by affirming that local municipalities will not allow policies that marginalize women to continue, stressing the importance of direct communication with women and working to empower them. She noted that since 2015, many women were forced into isolation in their homes under a male-dominated mindset that sought to limit their spaces. “Through the ‘Women’s Cities’ project, we reaffirm our commitment to building a life in which women are active and essential, and we carry out this struggle for a more just and inclusive urban space.

Women are not alone, and solidarity is the way

On her part, the co-chair of Rîzan Municipality, Leyla Ayaz, emphasized that the “Women’s Cities” project holds great potential to bring about radical change in the structure of cities. She noted that the appointment of trustees was merely a step to marginalize women and leave them unprotected, leading to a noticeable increase in violence against them. DEM-affiliated municipalities aim through their programs to preserve women’s memory and history from being forgotten, stressing that addressing gender-based violence is a collective responsibility requiring the combined efforts of the entire community.

She highlighted that they will observe the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by intensifying women’s struggle and strengthening solidarity among women: “We organize regular meetings in neighborhoods, meet with women, and assure them that they are not alone. Women’s centers and anti-violence networks in this city have proven that support is available and that women can face challenges together.”

She added, “As November 25 approaches, we send a clear message to every woman: ‘You are not alone.’ It is important to know the available mechanisms and not to ignore when another woman experiences violence. We are responsible for protecting each other and for noticing what is happening around us. I call on all women to be present in public spaces and contribute to raising women’s awareness, because change begins with participation.