On March 8, International Women’s Day, numerous people joined the protests on the streets for the remembrance of the deceased and hurt women of Türkiye. In fact, 398 women were killed in Türkiye just in 2024. Young girls are still being pressured to get married at early ages and their education is neglected all around the world, and sexual harassment rates continue to rise. Inequalities that occur due to one’s gender are still common, and on March 8, Turkish women marched on the streets to protest against people causing these inequalities.
However, some of these protests were restricted or blocked by the government. During the protests in Beyoğlu and Kadıköy, more than 130 activists were arrested and nearly all of them were released after the protests. Beyoğlu District Governorate also shared that the demonstrations on March 8 would be banned in the district for one day on the grounds that they could lead to actions that might disrupt public order and social peace. After the march ended, it was reported that some of the dispersing participants were surrounded by police on Cihangir Street. Later, it was stated that some of them were taken into custody.
Social media reports indicated that transportation restrictions were in place throughout the day in and around Taksim. Despite this, women's rights advocates from Cihangir, Karaköy, and İstiklal Street gathered on Sıraselviler Street. In the press statement, the following remarks were made: "Those unsettled by our struggle, by our determination to change our lives and the world, are increasing the intensity of their attacks on us every day. One day, they abolish the Istanbul Convention; the next, they declare the 'Year of the Family.'”
"Those who claim that Pınar Gültekin was not murdered with monstrous intent do not bother to uncover what happened to Narin, nor do they make an effort to expose the racist violence Dina was subjected to. Instead, they attempt to silence, intimidate, and erase those who protest these injustices—those who insist that life should not continue in this unjust and unequal way."
Similar scenarios occurred in Ankara. In Ankara, women gathered at the Kolej Metro station on March 8. They wanted to march to Güvenpark to voice their demands, but the police did not allow it. In response, the women staged a sit-in on Mithatpaşa Street for a while, blocking traffic to demand the removal of the barricade and the reopening of the road. The police made an announcement instructing the women to clear the road and move onto the sidewalk. Following the announcement, the women partially reopened the road to traffic and delivered their statements there. Speaking on behalf of the Ankara Women's Platform, Berna Demirdaş stated that the AKP government was attacking women's rights and declared, "We are not a family; we are women, and we are in rebellion."
Turkish women and women all around the world continue to fight for their rights and to prevent inequalities despite all the setbacks in a brave way.
Edited by: Oya Yamaç