The Progressive Alliance Working Group on Gender Equality, which includes women from 27 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa, gathered in Istanbul for its first workshop. The two-day workshop will be closed to the press. The workshop, which will be held at a hotel in Florya, will discuss the problems faced by women around the world, especially gender issues, as well as how to find a common ground for solutions. Before the workshop, the women visited the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) Istanbul Provincial Organization. 

 

The women were welcomed by Ebru Günay, DEM Party Deputy Co-Chair in charge of Foreign Relations Commission, Elif Bulut, DEM Party Central Organization Commission Co-Spokesperson, Amed Deputy Ceylan Akça and Istanbul Provincial Co-Chair Gonca Yangöz.  

 

FIRST TARGET WOMEN'S ACHIEVEMENTS

 

DEM Party Istanbul Provincial Co-Chair Gonca Yangöz talked about the problems women are exposed to. Stating that women are especially affected by war policies, Yangöz said that the situation of women who are engaged in politics is more difficult. Yangöz said: "Women in this country are struggling with many things such as the deadlock and poverty created by war policies. Every day there is an increase in femicide, there is impunity against men. The first target of the trustee usurpation appointed to the municipalities is women's gains. Women are under pressure in all areas of life, but there is a common line of struggle against this. Women are growing the line of struggle together and this is the hopeful part."

 

WOMEN'S STRUGGLE AND OPPRESSION

 

Ebru Günay pointed out that DEM Party includes women in all areas, including decision-making mechanisms, and reminded the trustee rally to be held and stated that the trustee prevented women from participating in the city administration. "We are a party under constant attack by the male mind. We are trying to conduct politics on a ground where our friends are being tried and arrested. Our friends were sentenced because we stood against ISIS and showed solidarity with the people of Kobanê. Our friends who led the women's struggle and our co-chairs were tried in these files. The right-wing nationalist tendency is reflected in every field and we will continue our struggle against it" Günay said.

 

EMPHASIS ON UNITED STRUGGLE 

 

Underlining that it is important for women to fight together, Elif Bulut said: "The government aims to take away women's gains in this country, to uniformize them, to maintain its power by imprisoning those who oppose it, and we are fighting against this. We have seen the importance of joint struggle led by women against the oppression of the government. We fought when the Istanbul Convention was abolished, we are fighting against femicides. As forces of democracy, we are waging a joint struggle against the government that stands against our gains. We are in a line of struggle against oppression. Seeing you here gives us happiness to be in a line of struggle."

 

SOLIDARITY WITH DEM PARTY

 

Progressive Women thanked DEM Party for hosting them. Noting that it was important for them to come together with DEM Party, the women mentioned the politicians in prison. The women underlined that they are in solidarity with DEM Party against the oppression they are subjected to. 

 

 

JOINT STRUGGLE

 

Women emphasized that Progressive Women have been working on a joint action plan and gender since 2019 and emphasized the importance of joint struggle against the male-dominated mentality.