JINHA

NEWS CENTER – A few days before her arrest, Diyarbakır co-mayor Gültan Kışanak had made a speech explaining why local government was a key site for women’s struggle. The final words of her speech: “It’s time for all-out resistance against the male mindset.”

Gültan Kışanak, who has been under arrest for three days, made a speech on October 22 at the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party)’s Istanbul women’s meeting, “Women Debating Local Government.” Gültan’s presentation was titled, “We’re here to talk about our local governments and the trustees….” In the speech, which was given in full by Filiz Karakuş from the organization Çatlak Zemin, Gültan noted the importance of local government as a site for the women’s struggle. The speech explained the changes that the administration had made for women in Diyarbakır, and call for resistance against attempts to stop women’s projects in local government.

Gültan explained the many projects for women’s rights at the Diyarbakır municipality, including the Department of Women’s Policies; the domestic violence hotline; bread ovens, laundry, and women’s living centers in rural areas; children’s play areas; urban gardens; and mobile anti-violence teams.

“From the perspective of the women’s liberation struggle, local government has key importance. It has won us a lot; we found the resources to do many things. As a woman and an activist, I know how much difficulty the women’s struggle operates under. When we women are planning to hold a meeting, or when we want to print a brochure, or when we want to send someone to a meeting, we have limited financial resources,” said Gültan.

“At this moment, the number of women employed by Departments of Women’s Policies in local government administrations is approximately 500. 65 women are currently working at the Diyarbakır Municipal Department of Women’s Policies. Among that number are psychologists, social workers, those working in the field, those working in education,” said Gültan. “This is an amazing force, actually. What this means is an amazing resource and a foundation for women to socialize their struggle and accelerate its pace.”

Gültan continued by describing the actions of the trustees appointed by the state to take over many local governments in Kurdistan.

“With the trustees, their first actions were oriented to removing all of this. We have seen this and we continue to see it. Their very first actions really were to stop women’s projects,” said Gültan, who explained the many projects that local governments had undertaken to promote women’s socialization and fight violence against women.

“Actually, whether or not a trustee is appointed, the mindset is the same,” concluded Gültan. “There is a wave of attacks against all of these victories that women have won. And I say that it is time for us to present an all-out women’s resistance against it.”

(fk/cm)