2006 Call to Action
Hello,
I do not know how many years it takes for an action to become a tradition, but I had already begun claiming this action was a tradition after its first year. Now it is entering its fourth year. So it has certainly become a tradition…
I am talking about the “traditional” feminist action held in Taksim on the evening of March 8.
As we know, women’s histories are histories women tell themselves. That is why I want to recount the process that brought this action into being and the need that keeps taking us insistently to Taksim: at least so it does not vanish, so it remains written down somewhere, and in the hope that surely some people are curious.
Four years ago, the women’s liberation movement was continuing to lose strength, and feminists’ demands and words occupied an ever smaller place in the various women’s events being held. Meanwhile, almost all components of the women’s movement were embracing many feminist formulations/ideas, above all “male domination”. The ideological/political background distinguishing feminist from non-feminist women had become quite blurred. There were also many feminist friends who did not attend March 8 rallies, for reasons such as the forms of action preferred by the women’s movement and men’s endless enthusiasm for attending March 8 rallies, but who actually wanted to spend March 8 on the streets.
That is why we began talking about holding a feminist action separate/different from the actions we joined and were part of. So its emergence was collective too. We organised the actions with the participation of independent feminist women and women from feminist women’s groups. We used no signature other than Feminists… We always tried to make it everyone’s action, with nothing else and no one else taking precedence. That is why we agreed not to use placards, flags, banners or any symbols bearing signatures and/or identified with an organisation. So far, we have succeeded…
We wrote and painted the action’s banner and placards together, gathering in one place, without taking the easy route of saying “everyone make something and bring it”.
On March 8, 2003, there was the American occupation, and we were in Taksim with the slogan “Bush, Blair, Teacher: All Men, Is That a Coincidence?” (Without forgetting to add a moustache to Theacher’s photograph.)
On March 8, 2004, Güldünya had only just left us. This time violence against women and honour killings were on our agenda. “Men Hit, the State Protects Men” and “We Want Shelters, Not Cemeteries!” were our main slogans.
We marked March 8, 2005, with the slogan “We Do Not Obey the Male-Dominated Order!” and a call to all women to rebel and join the feminist struggle.
In 2006, we meet with the main slogan and banner “FEMINIST STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY” at the tram stop in Taksim Square at 8 p.m. on Wednesday evening, March 8. Destination: Galatasaray… We will walk to Galatasaray with our slogans and women’s songs and folk songs, and read our press statement. After ending our action, we will disperse to other venues for the “celebration” part.
This action is first and foremost the action of all feminist women… But in fact there is room in this action for every woman who says “Feminist struggle against patriarchy”.
See you at the feminist gathering on the evening of March 8…
SUMMARY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT LIKE READING LONG TEXTS;
WE MEET AT THE TRAM STOP AT THE ENTRANCE TO TAKSIM SQUARE AT 8 P.M. ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 8.
OUR SLOGAN IS “FEMINIST STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY”
OUR SIGNATURE IS “FEMINISTS”…
PLACARDS, THE BANNER, AND FLAGS AND PENNANTS READING FEMINIST WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AT THE SITE.
FOR THIS REASON, WE ARE NOT BRINGING PLACARDS, FLAGS, ETC. BEARING THE SIGNATURE OR SYMBOL OF ANY WOMEN’S GROUP OR MIXED-GENDER ORGANISATION.
THIS ACTION IS FIRST AND FOREMOST THE ACTION OF ALL FEMINIST WOMEN… BUT IN FACT THERE IS ROOM IN THIS ACTION FOR EVERY WOMAN WHO SAYS “FEMINIST STRUGGLE AGAINST PATRIARCHY” .
HOPING THOSE WHO HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE ACTION WILL PASS IT ON TO THOSE WHO HAVE NOT…
AND SEE YOU AT THE FEMINIST GATHERING ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 8…
Meriç Eyüboğlu
Source: kadinkurultayi@gmail.com
Source: feminist@yahoogroups.com
Date: February 11, 2006