ELİF ÇETİNER

 Istanbul- Women have completed their preparations to celebrate the International Women’s Day; women across Turkey will take to streets to voice their demands on March 8. In Istanbul, women have completed their final preparations for the Feminist Night March at Taksim. As every year, women will shout out their demands by participating in the march.

‘We have a life to take back from them’

As every year, thousands of women holding a rally at Kadıköy İskele Square on March 3 will gather at Taksim for the feminist night march on the night of March 8. The representatives of women's organizations, non-governmental organizations and political parties will also participate in the march that started to be organized weeks ago. In an interview with NuJINHA, Seda Yanmış, member of the Purple Solidarity (Turkish: Mor Dayanışma, a women’s organization in Turkey), talked about what women do to organize the march.

 “This year, we have the same rebellion and anger again,” she said at the beginning of her speech. “We call on all women to participate in the march by remembering and reminding them that we will not give up our gained rights they try to take from us, we have a life to take back from them.”

‘This is a life and death fight’

Recalling that one year has already passed since the earthquakes that struck Turkey on February 6, Seda Yanmış said, “We will celebrate the International Women’s Day with a heavy heart but full of struggle. Last year was a difficult year for women as well as for working people. It was a difficult year for the entire population due to the economic crisis and the elections and the devastating earthquake. It was also a difficult year for the women’s movement; women were always in solidarity with the quake survivors. Women, feminists, socialists and revolutionaries were in solidarity with the quake survivors in the cities affected by the earthquake while the state was not there. In the earthquake zones, violence against women increases every day. In 2023, about 400 women were killed by men and many more died under suspicious circumstances. Although the situation of women is getting worse day by day, the number of women struggling against it also increases. As we face more oppression, we know that we must raise our voices more because this is a life and death fight.”

‘March 8 is not just a day of the year’

March 8 is not just a day of the year, Seda Yanmış said, “Women struggle for 365 days and they show up their struggle throughout the year on March 8. Each March 8 actually has a different spirit with enthusiasm and joy.”

‘We will take Taksim back’

Pointing to the increasing arbitrary practices by the government, she said, “You know, the feminist night march in Istanbul has been banned for several years due to arbitrary and unlawful practices. We always say that we will not give up our gained rights that they try to take from us. We saw how they increased the dose of violence last year on November 25; dozens of women were detained. On March 8, we will take Taksim back and turn it into a square full of our enthusiasm, joy and resistance. As every year, we will be at Taksim Square on March 8.”

 Seda Yanmış concluded her speech by calling on all women to “participate in the Feminist Night March at Istanbul’s Taksim Square on March 8. We have actually been preparing for the Feminist Night March for weeks. We have made contact with women from everywhere to invite them to the march. For us, March 8 is more than a day of the year.”