At a joint press briefing in Taksim yesterday (2 October), 86 women's organisations declared that they have formed a "Constitution Women's Platform". They announced that they wish to participate in the process of preparing a constitutional draft and share the responsibility.

Representing the women's organisations, several women talked at the briefing: Hülya Gülbahar, the chairperson of the Association to Support and Educate Women [Parliamentary] Candidates (KA-DER), Assistant Professor Dr. Ipek Ilkkaracan of the Istanbul Technical University Association for New Solutions for Women's Human Rights, Ayse Gönüllü, a research assistant at the Middle East Technical University Women's Studies, Aysun Sayin, the general secretary of KA-DER, Melek Özman of Filmmor ("Filmpurple") and journalist Ipek Calislar.

"Preserve Article 10" 

The women have called for the preservation of Article 10 of the present constitution, which says "Men and women have equal rights. The State shall have the obligation to ensure that this equality exists in practice."

They have criticised Article 9 of the new constitutional draft, part of which reads: "Policies to protect women, children, the old and the handicapped should not be interpreted as a violation of the principle of equality."

The organisations are against the portrayal of women as "in need of protection".

Platform: We will prepare a file

The women NGOs which have united as a platform have announced that they would prepare a file with alternative suggestions for Article 10 and which would remind Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the international conventions that Turkey has signed.

Gülbahar: Do not take out principle of equality

Gülbahar pointed out that it was not acceptable that the principle of equality between genders, which women internationally and in Turkey had struggled for for years, should be taken out of the constitution.

Ilkkaracan: Prime Minister must know about inequality in practice

Ilkaracan emphasised that internationally, Turkey scored very low in statistics of women's participation in the workforce and politics. She called for temporary special measures in order to close the gap between men and women.

Ilkkaracan also criticised Prime Minister Erdogan's response to Gülbahar at the reception for the opening of parliament, where he had told her that men and women in Turkey had equal rights.

"Domestic violence, forced marriage, and "honour" killings are frequent violations of women's rights. Everyone living in this country sees this, and as the honourable Prime Minister also lives in this country, he must also be aware of it. Then how can he say that women and men are equal in Turkey?"

Other discrimination also needs to be banned 

Ilkkaracan also added that it was insufficient to forbid discrimination according to religion, language, race and gender in the constitution; she said that discrimination according to sexual orientation and marital status also needed to be forbidden.

Calislar also emphasised the inadequacy of the proposed Article 9, saying, "we have no intention of giving up the clause on equality and accepting the one on need for protection instead." (GG/AG)