Feminists from 22 Countries Meet in Istanbul

"The measures taken against the economic crisis in Europe affect most of all women. Basic public services are being privatized. They are trying to compensate this situation by putting women back home as housewives without payment. This leaves women more dependent on their families and husbands. While violence in on the rise, the social fields for women are narrowing. But we as women will not surrender our gained rights to capitalism. We are not going to fall back into our traditional roles, we will not stay at home".

This is part of the joint statement issued by the women who participated in the European Feminist Meeting held in Istanbul on Wednesday (30 June).

The meeting was organized by the "World March of Women", a group of 5,000 women from 164 countries struggling against all sorts of discrimination against women.

"Women on the march until we are free" is the slogan promoted by "World March of Women". The women draw attention to the negative effects of food, energy and environmental crises on women".

The European Feminist Meeting was attended by women from 22 countries, including women from various provinces of Turkey. The meeting took place in the Faculty of Business Administration of the Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).

Musical performances of Dalep Nena (Sisters' voice) and Ruken Yılmaz from the Mesopotamian Culture Centre were followed by speeches delivered on the topics of Turkish and Kurdish feminists and women movements by Sebahat Tuncel, Istanbul Deputy of the Peace and Democracy Party, and feminist writer Ayşegül Devecioğlu.

"Capitalism put down its disguise"

Nadia Stolinska from Poland talked about effects of the economic crisis on women. She pointed out that women are struggling to defend the achievements made throughout the past 50 years. "We believe that a different life is possible based on solidarity, peace, justice and equality beyond borders between peoples and gender differences", Stolinska said.

"We are losing the rights we acquired during socialist regimes"

The representative of the World March of Women Balkan Coordination, Monika Karbosuka from Poland, warned that the rights that were obtained during socialist regimes are under threat of being lost again in neo-liberal politics. "European feminists should not forget our suffering. When you say European feminists, you have to take us into account as well".

"We have to support alternative proposals other than IMF measures"

Vovou Sissy from Greece called for more solidarity: "The World March of Women should support alternative proposals against the measures of the IMF. We demand commitment for the organization of workshops and protest actions carried out by trade unions and social movements in Europe". (BB/VK)