The Democratic Local Administration Council of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party will declare five cities as “Women's Cities” by selecting them as pilot regions. The cities to be declared coming days after the event to be held tomorrow (8 November) in Amed (Diyarbakır) include Amed, Artemat (Edremit), Cizîr (Cizre), Nisêybin (Nusaybin) and Gever (Yuksekova). 

 

Women participating in the programme, which will take place between 10 amd and 5 pm local time, will hold discussions on topics such as the importance of women's cities and the factors that make women's lives difficult in cities. 

 

Necla Gürsoy, Director of the Women's Unit of the Southeast Anatolia Region Municipalities Union (GABB), stated that the reason for choosing the five announced cities was the intense women's struggle in these cities in previous periods. Necla Gürsoy stated that after the appointment of kayyums (trustees), all women's institutions in these regions were closed and women's work was obstructed, adding that cities were built with a masculine mindset and that this work was therefore important. 

 

Necla Gürsoy stated that living spaces were built in the city for women on the assumption that they are “in need of protection” and that they are fighting for a city to be built for an equal life. 

 

Necla Gürsoy shared the following about the work they will do in the “Women's Cities”: "First of all, women's centres are one of the essentials of women's cities. They could be free living spaces where women can easily access and express themselves 24 hours a day, perhaps small prototype women's villages, areas that incorporate women's aesthetics in an ecological sense. There are definitely women's production areas. These areas should be places that provide economic employment. We are talking about ecological and horizontal architecture. Together with women, we are actually talking about a lifestyle that includes nature and ecology. In all areas that concern local administrations, such as the right to distribute water and everything else, work continues in women's cities with a perspective that reflects the colour and aesthetics of women."

 

Stating that their main goals are not limited to a few cities and that they are carrying out work that will reflect the colour of women in all areas, Necla Gürsoy said that they will continue their work for a feminist approach in local administrations.

 

Expressing that they will hold a broad declaration bringing together civil society organisations and women's institutions, Necla Gürsoy invited women to tomorrow's programme. Adding that these efforts will continue on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Necla Gürsoy concluded: “We expect women to take the issue of women's cities seriously on this 25 November, to intensify this struggle, and to mark 25 November with a stronger sense of ownership.”

 

MA / Rukiye Payiz Adıguzel