During the session directed by Umit Firat, a member of directors of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Nebahat Akkoc and Zozan Ozgokce spoke about the policies and experiences of the women's organizations that they represent.
Former minister-lawmaker Ercan Karakas, former lawmaker and co-head of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) Ahmet Turk and Hak-Is head Salim Uslu were other panelists at the "Turkey's Kurdish Question" conference.
Women's joint emphasis
Nebahat Akkoc, who spoke of the Diyarbakir Women's Center (KA-MER) experience and Van Women's Association (VAKAD) head Zozan Ozgokce, underlined the need for an independent policy in the region.
Akkoc and Ozgokce said their target was to form policies, through the experiences and solidarity of women, which are pluralist and aimed at finding solutions, and which are not oppressive.
"At a time when forming a policy was identified with a political party, we pursued a different policy," said Akkoc. "For some, this was apolitical." She also underlined the multi-dimensional and complex structure of the situation and said the non-governmental organizations need an independent space for solution.
A crisis of confidence
Akkoc and Ozgokce also argued that women's issues need to be handled independent of ethnicity, religion and class.
According to Ozgokce, the biggest problem of Kurdish women like herself, is the "crisis of confidence." She said this crisis of confidence is a result of the "pressure women face from their fathers, their sons, the army, paramilitary police, and village guards."
Ozgokce said that especially the presence of over 100,000 village guards in the region causes a serious confidence problem. She added that women, most of the time, do not know how to express the sexual abuse and rapes they are faced with.
Akkoc: Our struggle for women began as we questioned violence
"We became active at a time when the Kurdish problem got more violent," said Akkoc, adding that their struggle for women began as they started questioning the violence:
"As it goes for all the wars in the world, those who formed organizations and took decisions were men. Women faced the most violence. Our bodies were used to punish men. While men were on the mountains, under detention or on the run, their wives and daughters were punished."
For this reason, Akkoc added, women's struggle is directly related to the Kurdish struggle. She argued that "a fight against the sexist approach that undermines the status of women, and which is reproduced every day by women and men," would bring real solution.
Cultural Conservatism
Akkoc proposed true participation, sharing and solidarity projects against discrimination and the hierarchy which objectifies the others.
Akkoc also drew attention to men's cultural conservatism which operates through women. She argued that women, who are seen as second-class because of traditional culture and beliefs, are given the mission to bear the identity, even if this means they are to remain outside the social life. For that reason for example, women are not sent to schools, and they are prevented from learning Turkish.
Ozgokce: The language that is nourished with nationalism and prejudices
Ozgokce said everyone defines the same things with different words (clash-war, terrorism, struggle) and argued that a "white language," which is nourished with nationalism and prejudices, is being used.
"Women cannot empathize with the problems the Kurdish women go through because of their language," said Ozgokce. "Many court cases have been dropped because women, who asked for a divorce could not express themselves in court."
The administrative structure is not cooperating with women's organizations
Ozgokce also highlighted the failure of administrative structures to cooperate with women's organizations:
"We had warned that women's suicides would increase when honor murders were brought under the scope of life-sentence. In 2006, there were 17 cases of suicide. Among those who committed suicide were children aged 10-11. Women's organizations were not admitted to the crisis center that was established in Van because of these suicides."
Karakas: Legal obstacles and prejudices prevent solution
Ercan Karakas, one of the speakers of the session said there were both legal obstacles and prejudices that prevented the discussion of the Kurdish problem.
"We believe the Kurdish problem can be solved within a unitary state structure through a democratic political framework," said Ahmet Turk, who was the last speaker of the session. (GS/EA/YE)
