WE WOMEN WILL BE IN TAKSIM SQUARE ON MARCH 8!
We women living in Turkey have demonstrated in the square in the evening every March 8 for 11 years to shout our anger against patriarchy, male violence, sexism, heteronormativity, capitalism, militarism and war.
Since last March 8, we have lived through a year of increasing violence against women. Every day we have to read of another femicide in the newspapers. Every day three women are killed in Turkey. Murderers and rapists are not punished. The state does not try to stop violence against women; instead, it tries to block divorces.
The AKP (Justice and Development Party), which is the government, legislative and judicial power all at once, has taken away our right to abortion. They drive us away from the doors of public hospitals when we need help. Access to contraception has been severely restricted. The government makes every kind of law to control women’s bodies. At the same time, it is preparing measures that condemn us to precarious and insecure work. Counseling centers and shelters for abused women exist only in symbolic and inadequate numbers. The government abolished the Ministry for Women and replaced it with the Ministry of Family and Social Policy. This new ministry has converted women’s centers into places promoting the traditional family, into which women are forced to return.
We women who were in the squares during the Gezi Resistance fought the state’s sexist policies. We directly faced police violence and sexual harassment while resisting.
But this was not the first time. In 2005 in Beyazıt, women faced police violence during March 8 celebrations. The European Court of Human Rights ruled against the Turkish state over this violence.
Taksim, where we women of Istanbul continue to resist and exist despite police violence and all the bans, saying “The square and the night are ours!” is now under police siege. In this square where we have raised our voices for women’s freedom for 11 years, we now face the threat of police violence, harassment and tear gas this coming March 8.
Oppression is growing, but we continue to resist and revolt against patriarchy! Just as in the last 11 years, we will be in Taksim this March 8 for our evening march.
The AKP government, which attacks our lives on every front, is also trying to take away the squares where we march. But defying all the bans, we will meet in Taksim to make our voices heard.
We appeal to women around the world to join us in raising their voices against possible police violence, in defense of our freedom and in solidarity, even if you cannot be physically present in Taksim. Together we will overcome the police barricades in Taksim!
Let the father come, let the husband come, let the police come, let the baton come!
We persist in revolt! We persist in freedom!
Istanbul Feminist Collective