Detained Prof. Büşra Ersanlı Becomes KA.DER Board Member

The Association for Support and Education for Women Candidates (KA.DER) renewed its administrative committee at the 8^th Ordinary General Assembly. Former President Çiğdem Aydın was confirmed in office once more. Prof. Büşra Ersanlı was elected member of the KA.DER Advisory Board.

In an interview with bianet, KA.DER President Aydın explained the election of Ersanlı who has been detained since 1 November 2011 in the context of the investigation into the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK). "Prof. Ersanlı is very important to us. She has always given great support and a significant contribution to KA.DER. We suggested her as a member of the Advisory Board because of both solidarity and the great wish to have her with us. All KA.DER members elected her", Aydın said.

"We hope that she will come back to us and join our meetings as soon as possible. KA.DER is going to organize political schools focused on local governments for the local elections in 2014. Prof. Ersanlı would certainly make a major contribution. We want to work together with her again", Aydın indicated.

The other members elected to the KA.DER Advisory Board are journalist Ahu Özyurt; journalist Seda Kaya Güler; lecturer Nil Mutluer; the first female governor of Turkey, Lale Aytaman; former Adana MP Nevin Gaye Erbatur; communication advisor Mine Kılıç; the President of the Kadıköy City Council Women Assembly, Serap Ören; political science and public administration Prof. Aylın Özman Erkman and Nuriye Çelik.

Ayşe Bilge Dicleli, Vecihe Tunca and Başak Ersen were elected members of the Supervisory Board. Sırma Evcan, Gönül Dinçer and Ayşe Güzin Kılınç are the new members of the KA.DER Disciplinary Board.

"How can a women point of view be included in the constitution?"

Aydın announced that in 2012 KA.DER was going to intensify their joint work for a new constitution and laws against violence and discrimination by enlarging their network and a co-operation with various women organizations.

"The work on laws is very important this year. This concerns the constitution as well as the draft law related to violence against women and also the anti-discrimination draft bill that has been left from the last term and was pushed to the background".

"Another project is the strengthening of relations with women organizations abroad. Because after the Arab Spring the countries in the region are working on new constitutions and on including articles related to gender equality in the new constitution. We will co-operate with women in the region on the question "how to include a women point of view in the constitution", Aydın declared. (ÇT/VK)