press

WOMEN RAISED THEIR VOICE IN DARGEÇIT ON MARCH 8 WORLD WOMEN'S DAY 1998 Dargecit is a town located at a distance of 110 kilometres to Mardin. According to government authorities its population is 25,000 and the district extends over an area of 550 square kilometres. As its name may invoke, the town is surrounded by tiny narrow paths (i.e. Dargecit means "narrow passage" in Turkish). Dargecit receives heavy migration in form its rural parts and gives population out to other parts of the country. It is a typical Anatolian town, given the status of administrative district in 1989. On 8 March 1998, as sun started to shed its early rays on the town, everything was ready in the high school yard for the world women's Day celebrations. It was a "festival of affection" organised with the contributions of the GAP Administration, Development Foundation of Turkey, Culture Cooperative, Governorate of Dargecit and Melodi/Sabah papers. There were many journalists, artists and individuals of various ages, men and women, coming from Istanbul, Ankara and Gaziantep. According to District Governor Ahmet Caglar, there were about 4,000 people gathered in Dargecit. The theme of the festival was not "women" only. In a friendly atmosphere peculiar to fast days, there were chats, poets, songs, and of course, questions raised. The importance of the day was apparently grasped by the local people as the gleam of their eyes testified. Blond haired, sun burnt and green eyed girls, all dressed up in white, cheered their guests with yellow, red and white artificial flower in their hands. Women with white head scarves, blackened eyebrows and worn out skirts were also present at this warm reception. Over the stage set in the school yard it was written "From Dargecit to the World: Welcome to the Festival of Affection". Speeches followed one another. Firstly, Leyla Onur, the field personnel in charge of CATOMs welcomed guests and asked for a Girls Vocational School and higher rates of school enrolment for girls. Laughter followed when Vildan Hanim, a teacher from the Basic Education School said "it is Women's Day today and men will wash dishes at home"...Journalist Seda Guler suggested local women to make as many child as they are able to give care and send to school. While well known writer Buket Uzuner said women should be the masters of their future, Nevval Sevindi, a journalist stressed that there could be no democracy without women and asked men to take their part in women's struggle for achieving full rights. After speeches, the physician of the health centre who have been striving in difficult circumstances to serve people sang sons with his "saz" (a Turkish instrument). Then he accompanied Sukriye Tutkun, a young artist coming all the way from Istanbul. Dargecit was alive... Sevim Buyukkaya from CATOM spoke to her neighbors, friends, women, children, to all who were there in Dargecit with a poem. A poem on a woman...Following stage shows, the women of Dargecit prepared a real banquet for their guests. Rice with meat, tandir and local bread, ayran soup, rib and, of course, meat balls...nothing was missing...meal was eaten in a warm atmosphere...Yes, women spoke out in Dargecit, their hearts turning into mountains of green, seeds of affection blossomed. It was not just a celebration. It was a day of solidarity, a day working out love as an ornament, a day in which the footsteps of women could be heard, a day when it was sealed for sure that women has a name. Now 8th of March is celebrated in the Saglik village of Sanliurfa, in Hamurkesen village, in Yakubiye neighborhood, in the Evren neighborhood of Mardin, in Siirt, in many other villages and neighorhoods...To become the masters of their life, women are now making it for themselves, starting to ask questions for change and development instead of keeping themselves jailed in their small world. Women the genesis of everything, even life itself... Talking about 8th of March In Fact it is not much different from other days... What was your idea about the Region and Dargecit in particular before you came here, and what do you think now ? Nothing much different than what I had known. There are plus signs and minus signs of course. Plus signs are for having seen a young female generation more ambitious and wilful than I expected to see. There are minus signs as well. For example, very few opportunities exist. It is just like no Republican Revolution ever happened here. Speaking generally, what are the basic problems of women in Turkey? What do you think in specific to this Region? What can you suggest for solution? I think there are similarities between gender and environmental problems. When any environmental problem arises in one corner of the world you can not avoid it in another. This is also true in gender problems. There is the problem of "beaten up" women even in the Scandinavian countries. In other words women have their problems everywhere. However, the severity of these problems rise parallel to economic and cultural underdevelopment. The common thing between a women from Istanbul and Dargecit is that they are both considered "second class" just because of their sex. Yet, a woman in Dargecit is much less fortunate in terms of education and ability to chose her husband, to make her own money or gain occupational skills. What do you think about CATOMs, what is your impression? I first heard of them when I came here. I am quite impressed by what I was told. Seems to be a very realistic and rational project. Reminds me the principle "small is beautiful". I appreciate particularly the library, health and training services. I think the greatest advantage of CATOM is that it is not working for any specific ideology. What kind of activities would you suggest for local women? How would you like to take place in these activities? I think durability is more important than short term successes. Unless it is sustainable, no action can bring out the results desired. Free writing on walls may be encouraging for youngsters who are interested in literature. As a writer, what I have experienced here will undoubtedly find reflection in my works. I believe this will an important feedback in terms of change and contribution.